Just A Name
by PrioritiesSorted
Summary: What is in a name? In the end, did it matter that he was a Malfoy and she was a Potter? In the end, he was just Scorpius and she was just Lily... why shouldn't they be friends?
1. A New Start

_********__Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, it belongs to J K Rowling._

_**A/N - So this is set six years after Nineteen Years Later. My first Harry Potter fanfiction, because I wondered how the fame of Harry and the infamy and fall of Malfoy would have affected their children, as I'm sure did a lot of people. This is my version of what happened after J K Rowling left us in The Deathly Hallows... Hope you like it! **_

It was five minutes to eleven on September the first and as usual platform nine and three quarters was bustling with activity. Mothers waved up to their children who were leaning out of compartments up and down the train, shouting at them to stay safe and not to get into trouble.

As usual, Scorpius Malfoy couldn't wait to get on the train, and barely heard his mother's babble.  
"Have you got your cauldron?"

"No, mother." He replied absently, "I'm not doing Potions this year, remember?"

"Of course you aren't, how silly of me." She replied, smoothing his collar.

Scorpius rolled his eyes, what was the point in his mother's constant effort to make him perfect when his father would never accept him? Scorpius had been seen onto the train by his mother alone since second year, after his irate father had refused to accompany them to Kings Cross for shame that his only son had been sorted into Ravenclaw.

"Sixth year already, I can't believe it." His mother gushed, as the scarlet steam engine let out a piercing whistle and Scorpius turned away.

"Will you be coming home for Christmas this year, darling?" His mother asked, planting a kiss on his proffered cheek as he made to board the train.  
"No." He replied simply, stepping up onto the train.

"I'm sure your father will want to see you!" She called to him as steam filled the platform.

Scorpius didn't reply, only watched her disappear into the distance as the train sped up. He felt bad immediately; it wasn't her fault after all. He would send her a letter as soon as he arrived, but wouldn't go anywhere near Malfoy Manor until summer, when he was forced to return home. He just managed to push his way through the throng of people to find an empty compartment. He heaved his bag into the storage space and sat down, watching the familiar city roll past. Maybe Connor would find him later, but about now he was probably busy with Annie and Scorpius wasn't keen on being the third person in that party.

Muggle born Connor Berkley had been Scorpius's best friend since they met on the train in first year. Connor was in Ravenclaw too, and had met Annie Finnegan in the final against Gryffindor last year. As far as Scorpius could remember, Connor had hit a Bludger at her, causing her to drop the Quaffle and he caught her as she'd plummeted to earth. The rest of the team had not been best pleased, since Annie was one of Gryffindor's best Chasers and her continuing play had probably secured the win for Gryffindor. Scorpius had not been surprised when he received the owl from Connor in the holidays telling him they were together, although he did wonder what other people would make of it. After all, Connor was a sixth year, and Annie was only in fourth.

The grey city rolling by had turned to green fields and Scorpius was wondering when the witch with the food trolley would make her rounds when he heard the compartment door open and a voice say,  
"Oh, sorry. I didn't see you in here."

Scorpius looked up and saw three girls standing in the doorway. The one in the front who had spoken was the smallest but the most confident looking, with long red hair and chocolate brown eyes. Scorpius vaguely recognised her as a Gryffindor fourth year, one of Annie's friends.

"Don't worry about it." Scorpius said, gesturing to the free seats in the compartment. The girls looked at each other and shrugged before filing into the compartment. There were a few seconds of awkward silence before the red haired girl said,  
"Well, I'm glad to be out of there."

"I know!" Replied one of her companions, leaping into sudden animation, her brown curls bouncing as she leaned forwards. "It's just indecent frankly; they shouldn't be allowed to do that in public!"

"Well I think it's sweet." Said the third girl, whose brown hair was as straight as her friend's was curly. Other than that one difference, the two were identical – Scorpius thought they must have been sisters.

"To a degree," Replied the red head, "but after a while it's just plain awkward."  
"And he's so much older than us!" Piped up the curly haired girl again.

"Oh come on Ella!" Her companion said, sitting up in her seat. "He's only a sixth year, that's only two years. In the scheme of things it's really not that much."  
"In school years, though." Ella insisted.  
"Whatever." Her companion replied, resting her head against the window, the red hair rippling oddly down the pane.

Another strained silence descended, during which Scorpius noticed the two brunettes slipping him side glances. He suddenly felt uncomfortable; he wasn't used to being noticed.

"What's his name anyway?" The straight haired girl asked eventually.  
"Who?" The redhead asked absently, still staring out of the window.

"Annie's boyfriend, did she say it was Callum? No, it was Colin..."  
"It's Connor." Said Scorpius quietly.

"What?" Ella asked, looking accusingly at him.

"His name, it's Connor." Scorpius repeated.

"Oh." She said, taken aback. "Thanks."

"No problem." Replied Scorpius, and silence descended in the compartment, until Ella asked,  
"You a friend of his then?"

"What?"

"You a friend of his... Connor's I mean."

"Oh." Said Scorpius, surprised at his sudden inclusion. "Well, yeah I suppose."

"Why aren't you in there with him then?" She asked.

"Same reason you lot just left I imagine." He said.

"Right." She said, giggling. "So you're in sixth year then?" She asked, leaning forward with a flick of her hair. Out of the corner of his eye, Scorpius saw the red haired girl roll her eyes and had to hold back a laugh.

"Err, yeah." He replied eventually.

"Haven't seen you around much."

"Well I keep to myself." He muttered; keen not to be the centre of attention.

"Give it a rest Ella." Said the red head.

"I'm only being friendly Lily!" Ella said, indignant. Suddenly Scorpius recognised the girl still staring out of the window.

"You're Lily Potter!" He said suddenly. "I know your brother, he's a good bloke."  
"You don't have to live with him." Lily smiled.

"Fair play." Scorpius shrugged. He noticed that Ella had sat back in her seat, a slightly sulky look on her face. He glanced from her to Lily, who met his gaze with another eye roll; but Ella still wasn't finished, it only took only a moment of brooding silence before she asked,  
"What was your name, sorry?"

"Scorpius." He replied quietly, "Scorpius Malfoy."

"Oh." Was all the verbal reply expressed, but the reaction from the two brunettes was evident. Ella sat back in her chair and didn't meet his eyes again, and the girl sitting next to him inched noticeably away from him. Lily shot them both withering looks and Ella looked back at her with warning in her eyes. Scorpius suppressed a sigh, and reminded himself that this was utterly normal behaviour and much though he loved Hogwarts, he would once more have to get used to the nervous and sometimes openly hostile behaviour of his fellow students towards him.

After a few awkward seconds Ella stood up and gestured to the other brunette,  
"Come on, Bella, Francis said he'd show me the pictures from his trip to the Dragon Reservation in Romania! You coming, Lily?"

"Nah," Lily replied, "You know I can't be civil around McLaggen."

"Oh yeah." Said Ella, looking a little agitated she and Bella left the compartment, and Scorpius thought the compartment door closed with a little slam. Lily looked at the closed door for a second before glancing over at Scorpius again,  
"Sorry about that, I don't know why..."

"I'm used to it." Scorpius interrupted, "Don't worry, really."

"What a great start to the year – getting on the wrong side of the Creevey twins." She said, slumping in her seat.

"I thought they were sisters." Scorpius said absently. Lily looked incredulously at him for a second before exclaiming,  
"You mean to say you've managed not to notice the Creevey sisters, or at least Ella, for four years?"

"I try to keep to myself, you know. Ella didn't seem to know who I was either."

"Well she doesn't really notice anyone who doesn't walk directly into her path, or isn't likely to make her look good."

"She can't stay angry with you for too long then can she?" Pointed out Scorpius, "They didn't seem too angry anyway, and who could blame you for wanting to avoid McLaggen."

"You know him?"

"No, but his brother's in my year – utter git." Lily laughed at that, and nodded.

"I know! I hated James being Quiddich captain but now I'd do anything to get him back - McLaggen's a nightmare. I thought Francis was bid headed until I met Cormac, thinks he's Merlin's gift to the world. He works us all too hard and then shouts at us when we play badly because we're so tired. Plus he irritates Hugo and Al with the way he leers at Rose, and me too if I'm honest."

"He does that. When he isn't too busy shouting his opinions all over the castle." Said Scorpius with a wry smile. He was remembering an incident last year when McLaggen had bewitched an Edible Dark Mark from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes to follow him around for a day until Professor Longbottom asked him why. Not wanting to attract more trouble, Scorpius had claimed not to know who bewitched the sweet, but ever since then he had gained a friend in the quiet Herbology Professor. When Scorpius looked up again, Lily was looking at him with concern in her warm brown eyes.

"Sorry." He said, "McLaggen's just one of those people who's been brought up being told that Malfoys were Death Eaters and deserve to be punished for it. I know all about what my father and grandfather did, I don't think I'll ever be allowed to forget it; but in the end it doesn't mean I have to be like them – matter how much I look the part." Scorpius flicked his blonde hair from his face and rolled his piercing blue eyes at Lily, who was still looking at him with interest, and something he thought might be pity.

"I don't know why I'm telling you this." He said, with a shake of his head.

"Lysander would probably say there's a Divulgibbon in here – it makes you more willing to tell your secrets." She explained, noting the confused look on Scorpius's face, "But then again, he still has yet to prove the existence of Crumple Horned Snorkacks to me so I wouldn't count on it. My grandmother says I have 'one of those faces'."

"Maybe that's it." Scorpius laughed.

They had lapsed into a friendly silence when the compartment door slid open again. Scorpius saw Lily glance over, expecting the twins had re-entered and was shocked to see her already pale face whiten. He turned around to see four Slytherins from his year standing in the doorway. He recognised then immediately, for the group had acquired more than a little notoriety during their six years at Hogwarts.

"Look what we have here." Said the boy in the front, leaning nonchalantly the compartment door, "Potter and Malfoy."

"What do you want, Zabini?" Lily said coldly.

"I was just wondering why Little Miss Potter isn't surrounded by her devoted followers." Said Zabini, "So we thought we'd drop by to see you."

"How kind of you." She replied, "But as you can see I am perfectly fine here, and am not in desperate need of your company." Despite her cool exterior, Scorpius could tell she was nervous and was sure the others could tell as well. Zabini raised his eyebrows and glanced around his friends.

"Well that isn't very nice is it? You really need to mind your manners Potter – haven't your Mummy and Daddy taught you that?" The four had managed to slip into the compartment, and they were a distinctly menacing presence. Lily had sat up in her seat and there was a distinct fear in her eyes, the gang appeared to be closing in on her – she looked terribly small and Scorpius found himself on his feet with all eyes on him.

"I think you'd better leave." He said, trying to sound braver than he felt. The Slytherins were all big, with the exception of Zabini, and though tall Scorpius was about half the size of each hefty bully.

"The great Mr Malfoy has spoken, boys." Said Zabini, looking scathingly at Scorpius, "I'm glad you've got someone to protect you now big brother has left, because I wouldn't count on Albus to be any help. Are you sure he's even your real brother? With the great Harry Potter for a father you'd think he'd have a little more backbone, but it seems he doesn't care about his little sister. Shame..."

The four were definitely advancing towards Lily, and Scorpius acted on impulse apparently at the same time Lily did. Jets of purple and white light hit the Slytherins, who shouted and clutched their faces. When they looked up, Zabini and Flint had huge black bats flapping around their noses and Goyle and Nott clutched at the enormous boils that had sprung up all over their faces. They ran from the compartment just as Connor, Annie and the Creevey twins came in.

"What did you do to them?" Annie asked, watching them sprint down the corridor.

"Bat Bogey Hex." Lily laughed.  
"Furnunculus." Said Scorpius. "Looks like you've got quite a knack for that curse." He added as he watched Zabini attempt to curse away the green bats with little effect.  
"It's an inherited trait." She said with a smile.

"You two'd better get your robes on you know." Piped up Bella, "We'll be there in a few minutes." Judging by the wild Scottish countryside flying past the window, she was right.  
By the time Lily and Scorpius were changed, the train was pulling into Hogsmeade Station, and without having even entered the castle, Scorpius knew this was going to be a year with a difference.

_**A/N - So what do you think so far? Please review and tell me - any hints and tips welcome! **_


	2. Sorting and Severity

_**A/N - Second chapter up already... I've been busy. I've proof read this one so hopefully less typos but the main thing is that you all enjoy it! **_

**_Disclaimer - I don't own anything - the world of Harry Potter belongs to J K Rowling. _**

Scorpius, Lily, Annie, Connor and the twins all piled into one of the Thestral drawn carriages, chatting about their summers and the journey up.  
"Francis says they saw a pair of males having a fight – dragons are really territorial." Ella was saying as the carriage pulled up to the gates. Hogwarts loomed ahead of them, but despite its grandeur it was comfortingly familiar to all the teenagers.

As they walked in through the huge oak doors, they were almost swept up by the crowds of people heading towards the Great Hall before a pair of hands reached out and grabbed the ears of Lily and Scorpius.

"Ow!" They both yelled, and turned to see the horribly familiar face of Argus Filch leering back at them, his grizzled grey hair falling out in places, and more than one of his lopsided blackened teeth missing.

"Professors Longbottom and Weatherstone request your presence. Breaking rules already, we're not off to a promising start are we?" He wheezed, and marched them down to Professor Longbottom's office.

Filch knocked on the door and left, leaving Lily and Scorpius to exchange a worried glance before Professor Weatherstone opened the door. She had been teaching at Hogwarts for twenty years, and though her hair was white as the first snows of winter her age didn't show on her face, which was round and plump. Now, however, it looked surprisingly hard as she gestured for them to enter. The office was spacious and warmly decorated, the fire blazing merrily in the grate made the room seem welcoming, although the stern faces of the teachers occupying it were far from reassuring.

"Am I to believe that you two have been duelling with the Slytherins on the train?" Asked Professor Longbottom quietly. Scorpius bit his lip, he hated it when the Professor did that; he had a knack for discipline that no other teacher possessed, though he never shouted. He just looked... disappointed, something that made his students unwilling to displease him. To everyone but the Slytherins, he was a favourite teacher.

"Yes, sir." Lily replied, hanging her head.

"And may I ask what provoked you to cause such mayhem with the nasal mucus of Masters Zabini, Flint, Nott and Goyle?" He said with a sigh.

"Well, sir," She replied, choosing her words carefully, "they had come into our compartment and started being rather rude. Scorpius suggested maybe they should leave but then it seemed like they were cornering me and I got a little scared really, so I hexed them. I know it was silly of me but I thought they might hurt me, and I was frightened."

There were tears welling in her brown eyes, and as one threatened to spill off over her lashes Professor Longbottom said,  
"That doesn't work on your parents and it isn't going to work on me." But nevertheless he was smiling, and Scorpius thought maybe they would get off scot free when Professor Weatherstone turned briskly to him and said,  
"Is this true?"

"Err, yeah." He stuttered, "What Lily said is right, I thought they were going to attack her so I just panicked and cursed them."

"So in a fit of chivalry you decided on the Furnunculus curse?" Professor Longbottom said, all appearance of severity gone.

"I thought it best considering the circumstances." Scorpius said, trying desperately not to smile himself.

"I see." The Professor replied, nodding as if this was a matter that required some thought. "Well since the visages of our Slytherin friends have not as yet returned to their normal states, and require some attention from Madam Patil I'm afraid I have no choice but to put you both into detention with Mr Filch." He held up a hand to stifle their protests, "Wouldn't you agree, Professor Weatherstone?"

"Most certainly." She replied, looking sternly at the two, "Although their behaviour may have been excusable to some, that does not mean their use of curses was justified. They are both old enough, I think, to know the _appropriate_ magic to use in such a situation."

"Quite right you are." Agreed Professor Longbottom, "Your detentions will be next Saturday in the trophy room at seven o'clock." He said as he ushered them from the room,  
"Although I think your mother would have been proud of you, Lily; that was quite a curse." He whispered to her as they left for the start of term feast.

When they entered the Great Hall, the Sorting Hat had just been placed on its stool. Lily and Scorpius smiled at each other as they made their way towards their house tables. Lily sat down next to Annie, who turned to her with a hushed,  
"What happened?"

"Detention next Saturday." She whispered in reply, but then the whole Hall fell silent as a broad rip in the hat's brim opened at it began to sing.

_As another year of magic  
Begins at Hogwarts School  
The task of Sorting pupils  
Falls to the hat atop this stool.  
Fear not, young pupils – I'll not bite  
Or even leave a trace  
Upon your head, where I shall look  
To find your rightful place.  
Perhaps it shall be Gryffindor  
Where you will find your home.  
Among the brave and chivalrous  
You will never be alone.  
Perhaps it will be Hufflepuff  
Where lies your destiny  
With other noble spirits,  
Who will true companions be.  
Yet it may be Ravenclaw  
Where you will find your berth,  
Those Ravenclaws are quick and bright,  
And keen to prove their worth.  
And last but not least Slytherin,  
If you have great ambition.  
Where among like-minded people  
You may get your recognition.  
So place me on your youthful head  
I'm one that you can trust  
To tell you where you should belong  
In Hogwarts, here with us! _

The Hall burst into applause, and the first years looked relieved. No doubt many of them had been told horror stories about sorting. Lily chuckled as she remembered her own fear after James told her the hat would occasionally turn feral and eat a child it was having trouble sorting. Suddenly she caught sight of Lorcan waving at her, and waved warmly back; his twin brother Lysander was gazing up at the ceiling interestedly, seemingly unaware of proceedings. Of Luna's children he was most like her, there was never a dull moment when Lysander was around. A hushed silence descended on the Hall once more as Professor Longbottom stepped forward with the list of names, and the first years began to quake.

"Alderton, Elliot." Was the first boy to be called up, he tottered to the stool, trying not to trip on his too big school robes. The hat dropped down over his head and mused there for a second before declaring,  
"Gryffindor!"

The whole table burst into raucous applause as Alderton, Elliot let out a sigh of relief and joined the table. Lily watched the sorting with as much excitement as ever, cheering along with the rest of her house for every new Gryffindor and delighting in the start of another new year of Hogwarts; albeit one that hadn't started well.

"Look, Lily!" Called her Cousin, Hugo, from across the table over the roar of the Hufflepuffs as "Rufford, Emily" joined their ranks; "Lorcan and Lysander are up next!"

Sure enough, when she looked at the now dwindling line of first years she saw the two blonde haired boys waiting patiently. When Professor Longbottom eventually called,  
"Scamander, Lorcan." He made his was cautiously to the stool and allowed the hat to be placed on his head, after a beat the hat cried,  
"Gryffindor!"

Lorcan leapt from the stool and ran to Lily as the table exploded with applause.

"I can't believe it!" He beamed, "I was so hoping to be in Gryffindor with all of you – I don't know anyone in the other houses!"

"I'm sure you would have made friends wherever you were." Said Lily as she moved over to make space for Lorcan to join the table. "But I'm glad you're in Gryffindor too." She added in a whisper, and he beamed back at her.

The applause has died down when Professor Longbottom called,  
"Scamander, Lysander."

Lily felt Lorcan stiffen beside her as his brother wandered casually over to the stool and looked at the hat interestedly before placing it on his head.

"It'll be fine." Lily whispered, patting Lorcan's hand which had curled into a nervous fist on the table.

It didn't take the hat long to declare Lysander,  
"Ravenclaw!"

Lysander hopped off the stool and sauntered down to the Ravenclaw table, watched with tortured eyes by his brother.

"I thought we'd be in the same house." Said Lorcan quietly, his bottom lip beginning to quiver.

"He'll be alright." Lily tried to reassure him as Lysander waved airily towards his twin at the Gryffindor table.

"But he doesn't have nice people like you and Hugo and Rose and Al in his house to take care of him." Lorcan's wide grey eyes were filling with tears as he watched his brother across the Hall.

"Lysander makes friends easily." Shushed Lily, pulling a tissue from her pocket. "I'm sure he'll fit right in." She followed Lorcan's gaze and saw that Lysander was sitting next to Scorpius, who looked back at her.

"Talk to him!" Lily mouthed, nodding towards Lysander, who was still gazing up at the ceiling. At her command, Scorpius turned to the small boy and began talking; Lysander looked mildly interested, and seemed to be talking back.

"See." Said Lily, squeezing Lorcan's shoulder, "He's made a friend already."

Lorcan sniffed, but turned his face back to the front of the Hall, where "Wimple, Alexandra" was last to be sorted. As she ran towards the Ravenclaw table Professor McGonagall, her pale silvery hair piled beneath a tall emerald hat, stood up and tapped her glass with her spoon.

"Settle down, settle down." She said, "I know you must be keen to sample our excellent feast, so before we tuck in I shall merely welcome our first years to Hogwarts and wish you all the best for the coming year."

She retook her seat and immediately the gold plates filled with food. There was more than one gasp from first years around the Hall and everyone got started. Just as the main course was fading from the plates Lily saw the four Slytherins slink in through the door, their complexions still not quite even again. Lily threw Scorpius a wink and he smiled back as the Slytherins passed the Gryffindor table and shot her a look of pure hatred.

When pudding had also faded from the plates, Professor McGonagall stood up once more to address the school.  
"Before you all retire, I have a few start-of-term notices. Students should remember that the Forbidden Forest is, as its name suggests, forbidden to all students. Mr Filch has also requested I inform you that whomsoever he catches in possession of any Weasley's Wizard Wheezes product will be made to clean out the Potions store cupboard without the use of magic. Anyone in second year or over wishing to apply for their house Quiddich team should contact their captains. Now, it is late and we all need to get some sleep for a busy first day tomorrow."

There was a rush as everyone got up and made for the marble staircase. As Lily guided Lorcan into the Entrance Hall, she found herself standing next Scorpius and Lysander. As Lorcan was reassured by his brother that he was happy to be in Ravenclaw and everyone was very friendly, Lily turned to Scorpius.  
"Nice work on that curse." She said, "They're gonna look like that for weeks."

"Well I'd say it was an improvement – especially for Goyle." Scorpius said, and earned a giggle from Lily.

"Maybe that's why we got off with just detention." She suggested, still smiling.

"Well it certainly wasn't you and your 'I was so frightened!'" He joked, and she hit him playfully.

"It usually works; sometimes I forget Professor Longbottom is also Neville who's come over for tea every Sunday since I was born."

"That must be weird," He said as they made their way up the marble staircase, "It's bad enough thinking half the teachers knew your parents at school."

"Try having the entire world knowing your life story." She said with a sigh.

Suddenly Lily and Lorcan were swept up with the Gryffindors as Scorpius and Lysander were herded towards their common room by the other Ravenclaws. When they had all clambered through the portrait of the Fat Lady Lily bid Lorcan goodnight and watched him up the stairs with the other first years.

"Lily!" Came a voice from across the common room. Rose was fighting her way over to Lily, her curly red hair bouncing around her shoulders. Lily never failed to marvel at how lovely Rose managed to look all the time, her own red locks were untameable, her grandmother always said she looked as though she'd been trying to take wand wood from a Bowtruckle's tree.

Rose enfolded Lily in her arms before fixing her with a look reminiscent of their grandmother and said,  
"How have you managed to get a detention before term even starts?"

"They started it." She said, "Honestly! You know what they're like; I swear they think that the more they bully me the more likely it is their fathers will be let out of Azkaban."

Rose sighed,  
"At least you didn't lose any house points."

"Yeah." Lily replied with a yawn, "And it's only cleaning the trophies – it could be worse."

"Definitely – you could be caught with one of Uncle George's jokes!" Rose said with a smile, "You should get to bed," she added, noticing Lily's second yawn, "you won't want to be tired for your first day back."

"Thanks." Said Lily, "G'night Rose."

When she got to her dormitory, the Creevey twins were already in their pyjamas, and Annie was brushing her teeth.

"So... what did Longbottom say?" The twins asked eagerly as she entered.

"Detention on Saturday, we have to clean the trophies." She said, rifling through her trunk to find her pyjamas.

"Sounds like you got off pretty light." Said Annie, emerging from the bathroom and beginning to plait her long sandy hair.

"Yeah – and Scorpius'll be there too so it'll take half the time."

"Plus you'll have someone to talk to." Annie said, pulling back the sheets of her bed.

"Yeah... and that." Lily replied absently, pulling her pyjama top over her head and collapsing into the soft bed. She didn't even have time to pull the curtains around her before she drifted into a dreamless sleep.

_**A/N - My first 3 reviews made me happy :D another three would be just dandy! Or maybe more... I could deal with that. Third chapter may take more time to come up than this one, since I have another story I've been kinda neglecting - but it shall be up! **_


	3. Alliance with Albus

_**Discalimer - I don't own Harry Potter, J K Rowling does. **_

_**A/N - Can't believe it's been a week since I updated, still, could be worse. I really should be doing something like revising for my GCSEs... but this is more fun. Anyway - here's the latest, enjoy!**_

Scorpius looked at his reflection in the mirror. Was he really so like his father as everyone said? His blonde hair had become more of a honey blonde as he'd grown older – less like his Draco's almost silvery blonde hair. On reflection, his eyes were different too; they were almost navy blue compared to his father's misty blue ones. Scorpius bent over the sink, defeated.  
_  
No-one cares. _He thought to himself, _No-one cares about the details; all they see when they look at you is a Malfoy. _

He turned back to look around the dormitory at his sleeping roommates, of the five boys sleeping there, only Connor had greeted him with a smile. From almost all the other pupils he had received only wary, even hostile glances. Even by the age of eleven, Scorpius knew he didn't fit in – he'd never liked the fiends his father had picked out for him; Zabini, Nott, Goyle and Flint were too arrogant, and far too like their fathers for Scorpius to get along with. He thought that once he got to Hogwarts it would be different, he'd find people more like him, but the other students only ostracised him further; all because his name was Malfoy.

Scorpius crossed the room to his bed and sat down, staring at the clock beside his bed. It was half past three, and Scorpius hadn't been able to sleep a wink since he and the others had made their way up to bed almost six hours ago. His mind was restless, and he'd been tossing and turning all night long before giving up and going to the bathroom. He tucked his frozen feet under the covers and attempted once more to drift off to sleep, but his mind once more strayed back to the scene on the train which had been playing over and over and over again as he tried fruitlessly to sleep.

What was it that bothered him so much? He was used to almost constant abuse from the Slytherins, and wasn't shocked that they would treat Lily that way as well. He was used to being avoided by people who knew who he was, so it would have been stupid of him to be bothered by the reaction of the Creevey twins once they learnt his name. No, it was Lily that bothered him, how she'd looked at him like she knew exactly how he felt; as if she understood him, and she cared. He knew Connor was always there to give one of his trademark withering looks to anyone who was rude to them, but he didn't seem to _know _the way Lily did – perhaps it was growing up away from the wizarding world. Even so, of all the people on earth, the last person he expected to understand was the daughter of the famous Harry Potter.

Suddenly sunlight was streaming in through the gap in the heavy curtains surrounding his bed, he must have fallen asleep eventually, because the others were already up and getting dressed for their first day of study after the long summer holiday.

"Oi! Scorpius!" Connor's voice was loud but still muffled by the curtains.

"Wha?" Scorpius mumbled.

"You'd better hurry up, breakfast's in five minutes."

"Uh oh." Scorpius said, standing up and hitting his head on the top of the bed.

"Smooth." Connor chortled as Scorpius massaged his head. "I'll see you at breakfast."

Scorpius dressed hurriedly and managed to get down to breakfast in time to have Professor Weatherstone glare at him.

"You're late, Mr Malfoy." She said; her disapproval evident.

"Sorry, Professor – I didn't sleep very well."

"Be that as it may, you almost missed receiving your timetable. But nevertheless, here it is." She handed him a bit of parchment telling him he had History of Magic first. He glanced at his watch, which told him he had five minutes to get to his lesson. With a hurried,  
"Thank you." To Professor Weatherstone Scorpius grabbed a piece of toast from the table and darted from the Hall.

He just managed to slip into his seat and look around at his class as Professor Binns floated though the wall. The old ghost possibly the most boring being on the planet, but if Scorpius wanted to go into magical Law, he was going to have to put up with it. As Binns began to lecture on the Giant Wars of eighteen-seventy Scorpius glanced around at his fellows, there were few faces he recognised well – although he caught sight of Rose Weasley scribbling notes on the other side of the room. He sighed and picked up his own quill; for an hour and a half he forced himself to concentrate on Gramp the Foul and Drubber the Putrid's war over a mermaid who promised herself to both of them (and who, incidentally, was in fact a Kelpie fed up of their constant rock throwing contests). When eventually the class was dismissed, Scorpius was surprised to find Rose by his side. She looked up at him with a nervous smile before saying,  
"Thanks for helping Lily out on the train yesterday. I know you got in trouble."

"Don't worry about it." He replied, "It was worth it to see the looks on their faces – they've had it coming to them for a while now but even I didn't think they'd stoop to bullying a fourteen year old girl."

"Well, that' the Slytherins for you." She said, rolling her eyes. She paused and looked at Scorpius, blushing, "I mean... No offense... I just..."

"It' OK." He said with a smile, "I really couldn't care less – I'm sure my Dad was just like them in school. He's boasted about it enough times."

Rose giggled,  
"Anyway, see you." She said, turning down the corridor leading to Arithmancy.

The rest of the day passed excruciatingly slowly. When Scorpius finally slouched out of Ancient Runes to dinner Connor met him with raised eyebrows,  
"Woah. Look who crawled out of his crypt."

"Yeah. I'm a little tired." Scorpius replied, collapsing into a seat and beginning to pile chips onto his plate. He looked up to see tiny Lysander looking at him with curiosity.

"You look terrible," Lysander commented absently, "A Dormingle must have crawled into your eye. It's best if you don't blink for a few minutes, it'll fly out without moisture."

Connor chuckled, but Lysander was utterly oblivious and beginning to examine his plate of mashed potatoes and gravy.

When everyone was full, Connor and Scorpius began to make their way back to the common room. Professor Babbling had given him twenty four inches of parchment on the development of Egyptian hieroglyphics to successfully invoke curses, but he wasn't going to do it tonight. He was already thinking about the soft bed waiting for him. Suddenly, a red head popped up in front of him.

"You look awful." Lily said happily.

"Will everyone stop pointing that out?" Scorpius exclaimed.

"Sorry." She said, "But you really do look tired."

"I didn't sleep well – all that worrying about that detention you got me." He said with a smile.

"You didn't have to be Mr Hero and join in." She joked.

"Well, I couldn't exactly stand by and let them pick on little girls."

"I can take care of myself thanks." She said, nudging him with her elbow.

"Whatever." He replied, rolling his eyes.

"Would you like proof?" She asked, taking her wand out of her pocket at pointing it casually at him.

"No no no no no." He said, covering his nose with his hand.

"Very brave." She said, "Wouldn't think a big sixth year would be afraid of this little girl." She grinned mischievously. "Get some sleep – I need you blazing on all cylinders by Saturday."  
She waltzed off towards Gryffindor Tower and Connor gave Scorpius a significant look.

"What?" Scorpius asked.

"Nothing," Said Connor, shrugging his shoulders, "She's very pretty."

"Yes..." Replied Scorpius, "But I don't see what that has to do with anything."

"Whatever you say, man. I completely understand, of course – she is Harry Potter's daughter after all." Connor was being infuriating.

"Again, I don't see what that has to do with anything." Scorpius said as they climbed through the entrance to Ravenclaw Common Room after some second years.

"Alright, alright – maybe you don't fancy her."

"I what?" Scorpius asked, stopping dead in his tracks.

"All the flirty banter was just... you being friendly. I get it." Connor replied as he made his way up the stairs. Scorpius hurried after him,

"That was not flirting. That was... a conversation."

"Right." Connor said. "I was just stating that she happens to be very pretty, and was flirting with you. After all, you were her knight in shining armour." He struck a noble pose only to be batted by Scorpius.

"No one fancies anyone. I'm going to bed." Scorpius yawned.

"At half past eight?"

"Perfectly reasonable time to go to bed." Scorpius said, pulling his pyjama top over his head. He brushed his teeth hurriedly and collapsed into bed, falling asleep almost instantly. It felt as though he'd only just closed his eyes when he was being woken by the others.

"Is it morning already?" He grumbled, rubbing his eyes.

"Is eleven hours not enough for you?" Connor asked, rolling his eyes.

"No." Scorpius said as he stumbled to the bathroom, running his fingers through his tousled blonde hair. After five minutes spent trying to tame it, Scorpius gave up, got dressed and headed down to breakfast. As they were finishing off eggs and bacon, Scorpius glanced down at his timetable,  
"Runes again?" He sighed, "And I haven't done that essay."

Connor glanced over at the parchment in Scorpius's hand.  
"It's Friday, mate." Connor said nonchalantly, "You've got DADA."

"Oh yeah, feels like a Tuesday."

"Term started on Thursday this year." Connor sighed, enunciating every syllable. "You know, you may be smart, but you have more blonde moments than is really healthy."

"Oh shut up." Scorpius said in reply, getting up from the table.

When he arrived at the DADA classroom he found he was the only non-Gryffindor in the class. He spotted Lily's brother Albus leaning against the wall, his nose buried in a book. Unfortunately, standing in front of him was Cormac McLaggen Jr, almost six foot four he was an intimidating presence, even if he didn't hate you. McLaggen looked at Scorpius disdainfully,

"Look what the Kneazle dragged in." He sneered, and Scorpius's heart sank; this was going to be hell.

"I hope you aren't planning on joining our party, Malfoy." He continued, beginning to advance towards Scorpius, who wished (not for the first time) that he had a few more muscles to his name.  
"I wouldn't have thought a little Death Eater would be interested in Defence Against the Dark Arts. After all, wasn't it your father who attempted to assassinate Dumbledore? Or are you trying to make up for it?" He grinned at the others, smugness radiating from him. "I'm really surprised, Malfoy – you coming here seems like the right thing to do."

"Like you know anything about the decent thing to do, McLaggen. Remind me what your father did in the war." Scorpius scoffed, and immediately regretted it. McLaggen's face went from smug to threatening.

"What did you say, scum?"

"I asked what your father did in the war, McLaggen: surely you heard me." Scorpius drew himself up to his full height and braced himself for what he knew was coming, "Because as far as I know, when they put out a call for all able bodied wizards to fight Voldemort at Hogwarts, your father refused to turn up on the grounds that... what was it? His grandmother was feeling poorly, apparently the same one that died when he was in fifth year."

McLaggen flushed red as his classmates tittered nervously; Albus had looked up from his book and had a broad smile on his face. Looking around at the other Gryffindors McLaggen started towards Scorpius, but as a group of people passed, he suddenly stopped and looked around, confused.

"What was I doing?" He asked, scratching his head. Scorpius looked from McLaggen to the group of girls who had just passed and caught sight of a red head bobbing away from him. Lily turned around and threw him a wink before carrying on down the corridor; he glanced towards Albus, who shook his head with a smile before returning to his book.

Luckily at that point, Professor Jordan arrived, took one look at McLaggen and laughed. The lesson was an interesting one, during which Professor Jordan would surreptitiously use non-verbal curses against unsuspecting class members, who would have to defend themselves just as silently. Scorpius managed to earn Ravenclaw twenty House Points for silently deflecting the Impediment Jinx the Professor shot at him. After the lesson, Albus approached Scorpius and said,  
"Nicely handled. No one likes that McLaggen git anyway."

Scorpius smiled at that, he was glad Albus agreed with him – he was a nice guy, and for some reason Scorpius identified with him. Perhaps it was the way Albus seemed to shy away from anything that associated him with his father. It couldn't be easy growing up with a father like Harry Potter, especially when Albus looked so like him.

"It was my pleasure." Said Scorpius, "Although I couldn't claim a single handed defeat."

Albus chuckled,  
"Perhaps not, and though I'm glad Lily came along when she did I think she has a little too much of a taste for danger. Looks like she'll be the one following in Dad's footsteps." He said, exasperated.

"Maybe she'll... grow out of it." Scorpius suggested, "And besides, it's not like she's gonna be facing anywhere near as dangerous as the stuff your Dad went through very soon."

"Yeah, I guess. I just know how the war affected everyone, no matter how many years it's been people are still in mourning. I just don't want Lily to do anything stupid." He sighed, and

"You know, Al," Scorpius mused, "I think you're prematurely middle-aged. The war was... awful and so many people lost so much, but that's over now. There isn't much danger Lily could get in here so maybe just let her get her wild side out while she's still protected. Woah." He added, "I sound like my mother."

Albus laughed and punched Scorpius on the arm;  
"See you, Malfoy."

"See you." Scorpius replied, as he wandered back towards the Ravenclaw Common Room, hoping to write that essay for Professor Babbling.

When he reached the door with the Eagle knocker, he found a note at the bottom of the door. He stooped to pick it up, and saw that it had his name on it. He opened the scrap of parchment which read simply,

_Looks like we're even. _

Scorpius smiled and rolled his eyes. He tapped the doorknocker, which asked him,  
"What is consciousness?"

He thought about it for a second before replying,  
"An illusion of awareness that the mind conjures."

"Well deduced." The knocker said and the door swung open to allow him entrance.

As Scorpius settled down to do his Runes essay, he thought about the last two days. He was glad Lily had decided on his compartment, even if it meant he spent his Saturday cleaning the trophies – in fact, he was quite looking forward to detention.

_**A/N - Readers, you have done well on reviewing this so far... but could we perhaps do even better? That would be very much appreciated. Love to all of you fabulous fanfiction people! **_


	4. Detention

_**Disclaimer - J.K Rowling owns Harry Potter, not I. **_

_**A/N - With a lot of hard work and some white lies about revision... I have another chapter up! So far this one has been the one I've thought about most, but I seemed to struggle to get it out of my head right. Hope you like it anyway...**_

Lily yawned and stretched in her four poster bed. The light was peeking through a gap in the red curtains that surrounded her. She pulled one back to look at the clock on her bedside table which told her it was past ten o'clock.

"I love weekends." She sighed, falling back on her pillows.

"They're usually better when you don't have to spend them polishing trophies." Annie observed as she wrapped her dressing gown around herself. "Come on. We're going to miss breakfast."

As if to prove Annie's point, Lily's tummy rumbled noticeably. She groaned and swung her feet onto the cold floor. She pulled on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt before scraping her hair back into a messy ponytail, she wasn't about to start a battle with her hair this morning. The Creevey twins had already left, so Annie and Lily made their way down to breakfast alone. It was nice to be able to talk to Annie without the other two, and Annie was glad not to have to answer countless questions about Connor. Lily was good like that, she didn't need to know everything about someone's personal life, but she was always willing to listen to Annie if she – or anyone - wanted her to. They wandered down to breakfast chatting about their lessons, and their families.

Lily was surprised that Annie didn't already know Hermione was pregnant again, since Ron had told almost everyone they knew within an hour of the Healer's confirmation.

"She's a bit worried about it, actually." Lily said as they sat down at the Gryffindor table. "After all, Hugo's fourteen now but Grandma Weasley wasn't that much younger than her when she had Mum."

Annie chuckled, "If she can deal with Hugo she should be able to handle another baby no problem! Although it looks like you managed to beat his record – not even he's managed to get in trouble before term starts!"

"And I'm not planning on trying to upstage him again any time soon!" Lily giggled as a flock of owls burst into the Hall, dropping letters and parcels down to the waiting students. The proud Tawny owl that landed next to Lily had a letter tied to its leg.

"Thanks Archie." She said, untying the letter as he dipped his beak into her pumpkin juice. Archie flew back out of the window as Lily opened the letter,

_Dear Lily, _

_Hope you're settling back in alright. Luna told me Lorcan's a little upset that he and Lysander are in different houses, but that you are helping a lot. I know you'll do all you can to make him feel at home. I'll be sending Archie with some of Grandma Weasley's cakes in a few days for you and Al, and Uncle George sends his best.  
No doubt you'll hear from Rose that Hermione's baby kicked for the first time yesterday – Ron nearly had a heart attack. _

_All my love,  
Mum x _

Lily sighed with relief – Mum didn't know about the incident on the train. She glanced up at the staff table and smiled at Professor Longbottom, ever trustworthy. From the end of the table, Hagrid waved at her. She waved back, and resolved to go and see him before her detention, which didn't start until five.

When she and Annie had finished their breakfast they made their way back to the Common Room and sat down on the armchairs by the fire to do their Charms homework. They had only just begun their twelve inches of parchment on the correct methods of banishing objects when their study as interrupted by a loud, imperious voice.

"Potter," McLaggen barked at Lily, "Quiddich practice today at six. I want to get started right away if we want to beat those Ravenclaw gits in a month."

"Sorry, Cormac." She said, not looking up from her homework, "I've got detention at five tonight."

"Detention?" He asked, incredulous. "How the hell did you manage to get a detention in the first three days of term?"

"I got ambushed by some Slytherins on the train." She explained coolly, "It was self defence."

"Why were you in a compartment alone with some Slytherins?" McLaggen asked accusingly.

"I wasn't." She said, "Scorpius was there too, he helped me out."

"Scorpius _Malfoy?_"

"Do you know more than one Scorpius?"

"No, but I wouldn't have thought that piece of Death Eater scum..."

"Not everyone takes after their father, even if over-sized-head-syndrome is an inherited trait in your family." Lily stated, and McLaggen's face reddened.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that." He hissed. "We'll have to rearrange for Sunday. You don't have a detention then do you?"

"No." She replied calmly, "Unless someone finds out it was me who Confunded you yesterday."

"I...you..." McLaggen stuttered, "You've got some nerve, Potter." He said before storming out of the Common Room.  
Annie looked at Lily with wide eyes.

"What was that about?"

"I actually don't know!" Lily exclaimed, "I just don't seem to be able to control myself around him – he comes over and something inside me just goes 'click' and that's it! He just gets my back up, you know?"

"Did you have to tell him about yesterday?" Annie moaned, "You're going to get yourself in even more trouble."

"No I won't." Lily said confidently. "He knows there's only limited time before our first match and he can't risk having his Seeker in detention."

Annie shook her head.  
"You are impossible." She muttered, and the two returned to work.

When she finally set down her quill, Lily noticed that it was three o'clock. If she wanted to get down to Hagrid's she would have to go now. She said her goodbyes to Annie, who was still puzzling out her Divination, and pelted down to Hagrid's. She knocked, breathless, on his door and heard a familiar bark and a raspy,  
"Get back, Fang!" before Hagrid opened the door, his bushy hair and beard white with age, but a huge grin that made his beetle black eyes fill with youthful warmth in his face.

"Lily! How are you?" He boomed, wrapping her in one of his bone-crushing hugs.

"Hi Hagrid. Not too bad." She gasped when he released her.

"Now then, is this true what I've been hearing from Professor Longbottom about you an' those Slytherins?"

Lily hung her head,  
"Yes."

"Good for you!" He chuckled, "If you didn' stand up for yoursel' you wouldn't be your parent's daughter!"

Lily beamed up at him, the Care of Magical Creatures Professor and Hogwarts game keeper had been her friend since she could remember. Even through her early childhood he always seemed to be there to pluck her from trees when she'd climbed too high, or offer homely advice when she was upset. She remembered her very first day at Hogwarts, running down to  
Hagrid's house in a flood of tears because Al hadn't wanted to talk to her.

"He's probably jus' worried that if you spend too much time wi' him you migh' not get round to makin' new friends." He'd said as she wept into her bucket of tea. The thought that Albus cared so much had made her feel better, and that evening she had gone back to her dormitory keen to chat with Annie and the twins.

Today, Lily had so much to talk about, recounting every detail of the fight on the train to Hagrid, who listened intently.

"Who would've thought young Scorpius would turn out such a hero!" Hagrid chuckled, "Mind you, I always liked 'im, even if 'is father was a bit of a git. Always polite to me, 'e was. Those Slytherins on the other 'and you wanna watch out for." Hagrid turned serious for a second. "I'm no Auror, but I'm sure they're up to summat. I've seen 'em hangin' around by the Forest too many times, and righ' suspicious I find it. You'll wanna tread carefully where they're concerned, my girl."

Hagrid was rarely serious, and so Lily took his words to heart. There was something menacing about those boys, she knew – something about the gang that was clever as well as brawny. She shivered, and changed the subject.

"Did you know Hermione's pregnant again?" She asked, and Hagrid's eyes grew wide with shock.

"Well that's summat else!" He cried, clapping his hands together in joy. Lily laughed again,

"Didn't Ron send you an owl about it? I think he would've liked Kingsley to make a speech about it at the next Ministry conference!" Lily said, and Hagrid looked thoughtful,

"Now you come ta mention it, I remember gettin' an owl from Ron a coupla months back but I couldn' make it out it was such a scrawl. Well fancy tha'! I never woulda thought it. Blimey." He finished gazing at nothing in particular, seemingly unbelieving.

"It seems like jus' yesterday when Ron was in here spewin' slugs because Draco Malfoy'd called Hermione a Mudblood. I always knew they 'ad a soft spot for each other, no matter how much time Hermione spent down 'ere cryin' her eyes out over 'im."

It was then that Lily noticed that the clock on Hagrid's mantle read five to five. Time always passed quickly at Hagrid's with a cup of tea in hand. She said a hasty goodbye and promised to come down and see him again soon before running back up to the castle. She skidded into the Trophy Room at one minute past five to find Scorpius waiting for her.

"Tsk tsk tsk, Miss Potter." He said, tapping his watch. "Punctuality is a virtue you don't seem to possess."

"Shut up." She said, "Filch isn't even here yet."

As if he knew she had spoken, Argus Filch limped into the room.

"The first detention of the year – my personal favourite." He wheezed, smiling lopsidedly at them. "Take these." He said, tossing them a couple of rags and a tin of polish, "I want to see my reflection in every trophy in this room by the time you've finished."

"Are you sure about that?" Scorpius breathed, and Lily bit back a giggle. They got to work in silence, watched by an increasingly impatient Filch. For an hour they polished the Quiddich Trophies in silence before a deafening clang echoed down the corridor, making them all jump. Peeves shot down the hallway, giggling manically, and Filch let out a roar.

"Peeves!" He shouted, limping from the room at a surprising pace, leaving Scorpius and Lily alone. They looked from each other to the door and back again.

"If we leave he'll skin us won't he?" Lily said eventually.

"Oh yeah." Scorpius replied, "We'll be hanging from our toes in the dungeon before we know it."

"Damn."

They turned back to the trophies with a sigh, and began to rub the metal into a shine again.

"I think McLaggen's planning on murdering me." Lily commented as they polished the huge Quiddich Cup.

"You didn't have to Confund him." Scorpius replied.

"Oh yeah? You could've handled it all by yourself could you? Well it wasn't that anyway – there was supposed to be Quiddich practice tonight. Although he wasn't pleased about the  
Confunding either, his face was priceless."

"Wait, wait, wait. You told him it was you who Confunded him?" Scorpius exclaimed.

"I just... couldn't help myself. It was so worth it. He can't report me because if he does he knows I'll get detention, which means I miss Quiddich practice. He's completely befuddled. It's great."

Scorpius laughed,  
"You have got some nerve."

"That's what he said." Lily smiled, "Although he was a little less approving."

"Do you have any sense of self preservation?" He asked, laughing now.

"Nope." She replied, dabbing his nose with her rag and leaving a shiny spot. He touched the patch with his finger and examined it.

"You are such a child." He said, but he couldn't hold back a smile. She grinned back at him, her face lighting up and her brown eyes glowing with mischief. Scorpius shook his head and went back to polishing the Cup. He dipped his rag into the polish and, before she knew what was happening, he had smeared a streak of polish along her cheek. She looked at him in shock and he grinned.

"Looks like we're even." She smiled at that and flicked her cloth at him. Then it was on. She sunk her had into the polish and dumped the lot onto Scorpius's head. He looked at her for a second, his eyebrows ascending into his hair as the polish dripped down his face before bursting out laughing.

"You are so dead Potter." He said, coming towards Lily, who put out a hand to stop him.

"Wait a second." She ordered, and he stopped.

"What?" He asked, "I have some homicide to commit, or would like a moment for some last words?"

She didn't reply, but put her hands to the dollop of polish on his head and drew his hair into it, so it was slicked back. She stepped back and looked at him. The he caught a glimpse of himself in one of the glass cases.

"Merlin! I look like my Dad!" He said, and Lily giggled.

"You think that's funny, eh Potter?" He smiled.

"No." She replied innocently, "Besides, you don't look as much like him as everyone says you do your hair and eyes are darker for one thing and your face isn't so... pointy. Plus you don't have that angry look on your face."

"Don't I? Bugger." He cursed, "Attempt to look menacing failed."

"To be fair it's hard to look menacing when your hair is covered in trophy polish." She reminded him.

"Thank you for your understanding." He smiled, all this time - Lily had failed to notice that the tin of polish hover slowly across the room. Scorpius kept her gaze locked on him before jerking his wand ever so slightly and pouring the sticky polish onto her hair. She gasped dramatically before glaring at him fiercely.

"I think you just disproved your own theory," Scorpius trembled, backing away. "That is very, very menacing."

She didn't reply, but charged headlong into him and he only just managed to duck in time to pick her up and sling her over his shoulder.

"You're going to have to do better than that, Lily." He said, as she pounded her fists against his back.

"Put me down, Malfoy." She screamed.

"Or what?" He asked playfully, "You'll stamp your feet at me?"

"I'll... I'll..." she started,

"Spend your next Saturday in detention as well?" Came a soft voice from behind them. Scorpius turned around to see Professor Victis - the Transfiguration teacher - standing by the door. Scorpius put Lily down, who turned to look shamefaced at the stern Professor who frowned down at them.

"No doubt Mr Filch will have something to say about this when he returns, but in the mean time I suggest you go about tidying up the mess you have made." He said coldly.

"Yes, Professor." They chorused, and set about putting the room to rights. When Filch returned, they each got a cuff about the ear and were set to scraping the drying polish from the floor.

When Scorpius eventually returned to his dormitory, aching and still covered in polish Connor's mouth dropped open.

"What..." He began,

"I may have got into a polish fight." He said, as he sloped to the bathroom to attempt to syphon the substance from his hair.

"A _polish _fight?" Connor asked, coming to stand in the door way and watch, amused, as Scorpius tried in vain to set his appearance to rights.

"Yeah. But then Professor Victus came along and gave us another detention. He never liked me anyway - come to think of it, he doesn't like anyone much."

"Well done, Einstein." Connor grimaced, and Scorpius looked at him in confusion,

"Who?"

"Never mind." Connor sighed. "I'm going to bed - better leave you to clean up from your... fight."

"You do that." Scorpius said, continuing to poke his head with his wand. When he was satisfied that at least most of the polish had been removed he collapsed onto his bed.

"That girl is bad for me." He said to himself, and he heard a faint snicker from Connor's bed.

"Don't even think it." He snapped, and snorted as he heard Connor reply,

"I didn't say anything - you're the one who thought it."

Shaking his head, Scorpius rolled over and fell asleep. He must have inhaled a bit too much of the fumes from the polish because his dreams were strange. One minute he was back in the trophy room, laughing with Lily and the next he was on a broomstick high above the castle. He knew he was looking for something, but he didn't know what. Lily shouted instructions at him from the ground but they kept changing, until eventually he flew into the window of the Transfiguration room and fell - Professor Victus frowning down at him as he plunged toward the ground.

_**A/N - Only two reviews on my last chapter - makes me sad. I would be very happy indeed if you (my lovely reader) were to leave a review for me on this one! **_


	5. A Sticky Situation

**_Disclaimer - I don't own Harry Potter - J K Rowling does. _**

_**A/N - I have just come in from 5 hours of art exam and present to you this chapter. Relish it! It's also starting to get interesting.... **_

When Scorpius awoke the next morning he found that it was difficult to remove his head from the pillow. With a little help from Connor, he eventually managed to detach his head, but he could still feel the bits of polish he hadn't managed to remove as he raked his hand through his tousled hair.

"Let's go to breakfast." He said, rolling his eyes as Connor doubled over with laughter at the way Scorpius's hair now stuck up at strange angles. "I'm hungry."

When they entered the Great Hall it was almost empty, with just a few people left sitting at the long house tables so late in the morning. Scorpius and Connor sat down at the Ravenclaw table and stared at the almost empty dishes that had been groaning with food.

"Oh well." Connor said, picking up the last piece of toast and taking a huge bite. "Could be worse."

"Yeah, someone could've taken the last piece of toast." Scorpius muttered, picking up an apple from the almost untouched platter of fruit. A solitary owl flew in through the window and Scorpius recognised the black, orange eyed Eagle owl that landed in front of him as his own Socrates.

"Hello." He said, fondly, tickling the owl between his ears before untying the letter he was carrying. It bore the Malfoy seal and Scorpius suddenly remembered his promise to write to his mother. Feeling guilty, he opened the letter and read his mother's note,

_Dear Scorpius,_

_How are you getting on? I hope the teachers aren't working you too hard yet. _

_I am sorry if you felt I pressured you to come home for the holidays, but your father will want to see you. I know it seems as though he doesn't care but deep down he is proud of you, no matter what he says. Have a good term and I hope we will see you for Christmas._

_I hope Connor is getting on alright. _

_Love,_

_Your Mother. _

Scorpius sighed. It wasn't fair on her that she felt all the responsibility for his failure and his his father's coldness. He left Connor to forage for more toast and got up to go to the Owlery. As he reached the oak doors of the Great Hall he saw Lily and Rose descending the marble stairs. Lily giggled as she saw him,

"What did you do?" She asked, grinning.

"What did _you _do more like!" He exclaimed, "I don't think I was the one who decided to put Trophy Polish on my head, now was I, Miss Potter? Besides, how did you get it off?" He looked at her shiny red hair, neater than it usually was, and entirely free from polish.

"Rose helped." She explained, nodding towards her cousin, who raised her wand with a smile,

"Need a little help?" She asked.

"Please." He replied, and with a swift wave of her wand and a muttered "Scourgify" Rose had removed every trace of the polish from Scorpius's hair.

"Wow." he said, feeling his head in amazement. "Thanks."

"No problem." She replied, "With a brother like Hugo, you learn pretty quickly how to get things out of your hair."

Scorpius laughed,  
"Well it turns out maybe you need to watch out for this one too." He said, gesturing to Lily, who winked impishly.

"See you." She grinned as the two walked past him into the Great Hall and sat down next to Lorcan Scamander, who was picking at his breakfast forlornly.

By the time he got to the Owlery he was out of breath from climbing the steep flight of winding stairs that lead to the tower. Thinking that he really needed to work on his fitness, he was about to open the small wooden door to the Owlery when he stopped. He recognised the hushed voices coming from inside, and he wasn't about to interrupt the Slytherins.

"Dad says we should wait a while - he thinks if we act now it'll look more suspicious." Scorpius heard Goyle's low voice say.

"But she's got it coming to her. If that little upstart thinks she can get the better of us she's got another thing coming." Nott's voice was harsh and angry, and Scorpius had an inkling he knew who they were talking about.

"Calm down." He heard Zabini drawl. "We'll get her back, but we need to plan. This isn't just about us - we have been given the task of avenging our families and it is our duty to perform it. We wouldn't want to botch it through a lack of planning because she pissed us off now would we Nott? The plan will go ahead as we discussed. No sooner. We still don't know if we can get in and out before the creatures come."

Scorpius's heart was pounding, they had to be talking about Lily. He had to warn her. He turned around and found himself face to face with Peeves. The poltergeist was smiling evilly and Scorpius shook his head slowly and mouthed,

"Please. Don't."

Peeves's grin widened and he shouted,  
"EAVESDROPPER! Naughty little Malfoy listening at doors!"

As the door flew open Peeves shot off down the stairs, cackling maliciously. Scorpius found himself face to face with the four angry Slytherins with his back against the wall and no way out. If his heart had been pounding before, it was nothing to what it was doing now.

"Well well well. Look what we have here." Zabini sneered, looking down at Scorpius with contempt. "You should learn not to listen at keyholes, Malfoy. It'll get you into big trouble someday."

"Am I not in trouble now?" Scorpius dared to ask sarcastically, mimicking the condescending tone in which Zabini addressed him. Zabini's eyes flashed menacingly and the semi-circle the group made around Scorpius tightened.

"You're lucky you're a Malfoy, scum, or we'd have cursed you into oblivion by now. As it is, you have a choice. Your family were ruined in the War - this is common knowledge. Your Grandfather died in Azkaban, and his fortune with him. Your family have been reduced to living in an empty Manor, barely able to put you through this school. Your Father is ashamed of you, and your Mother despairs that you will ever be happy again."

"I'm aware of that, thanks. What's your point?" Scorpius asked, curious that he still had all his limbs.

"My point, Malfoy, is that all this is the fault of Harry Potter. We could all be living like Kings now but for him, and it is time to get revenge. I know you were keen to come to little Lily's aid on the train, but think about where you would be without her father. He deserves to suffer what we have suffered. Losing his precious daughter might just give him a taste of our displeasure. Join us and take revenge on the man who destroyed your family, or stay with your little blood traitor friends."

Scorpius pretended to think about it for a second - but he'd known all along what he would do. It was so simple, he had a choice between being jinxed to a jelly by the Slytherins or joining their ranks and knowing their plans. He was sure there would be some sort of catch somewhere along the line, but he would face that when he came to it.

"I'm in." He said, and the Slytherins stood back from their menacing circle.

"Good." Said Zabini with a smile. "We'll meet here tomorrow night to explain the plan. Stay in Potter's good books if you can - we'll need that." They turned to leave and Scorpius was breathing a sigh of relief when Zabini turned abruptly around,

"I can trust you, can't I Malfoy? I'm sure you'll erase all doubts I have but just to be sure..." He flicked his wand and Scorpius felt his tongue roll back into his mouth before flattening out again. "I'm sorry - but precautions have to be taken."

_Ah _thought Scorpius as the Slytherins made their way back down the stairs, _There's the catch. _

He massaged his throat as he went into the Owlery. He was going to have to think this through, how to tell Lily (or anyone for that matter) about the mysterious plan when he was Tongue Tied. He would think about it later - now he had to write to his mother. He pulled a quill and a piece of parchment form his pocket and began to write,

_Dear Mother,_

_I'm sorry I haven't written before - but I have had rather a hectic start. Connor and I are both shocked by the sheer amount of work we have already!_

_I'm sorry I was short with you on the platform, it isn't your fault I'm such a disappointment to Father. _

_I'll see you at Christmas,_

_Scorpius. _

He hesitated before sending it - did he really want to spend Christmas at Malfoy Manor? The simple answer was no, but he didn't want to cause his mother any more grief. He certainly wasn't going to mention the incident on the train, and he only hoped none of the Slytherins had mentioned it to their Fathers, then he was dead. He attached the roll of parchment to Socrates's leg and let him go out of the window.

He watched the owl shrink in the sky until he was only a speck, and turned to leave. Where should he go? Was it worth trying to find Lily to tell her of the plan, or should he go back to the common room and attempt to riddle it out alone? If he told her, she'd only worry and that wasn't going to anyone any good. Or perhaps it was worse than that - knowing Lily she probably wouldn't worry, she'd probably go after them herself. Yes - it was definitely best not to tell Lily.

Maybe he should go to the library and try to look up Tongue Tying Curses. That was a good idea - he turned down the corridor leading to the library only to be intercepted by Connor, who was going the other way.

"Hey mate. I was just looking for you - I'm going down to the Quiddich pitch to watch Annie practice, wanna come?"

Scorpius considered for a moment, trying to find a convincing excuse to ditch his friend and go to the library.

"Lily will be there." Connor said quietly, raising his eyebrows at Scorpius, who barely noticed. He decided that all excuses were pointless with Connor, who could tell when Scorpius was lying as easily as if he had poured Veritaserum down his throat.

"OK then." He replied, and Connor smirked.

"Thought you might say that." He grinned, raising his eyebrows again.

"Hilarious, Berkley. This has absolutely nothing to do with Lily." Scorpius said, rolling his eyes.

"Whatever you like, Malfoy. Whatever you like."Connor muttered as they made their way down to the Quiddich pitch, Scorpius striding ahead of Connor who (a good five inches shorter than Scorpius) panted to keep up with Scorpius's long strides.

"You know, if there was nothing in it your wand wouldn't be in such a knot about it." Connor panted, drawing level with Scorpius as they sat down in the stands to watch Gryffindor practice.

Scorpius attempted to think of answer to that, but couldn't, so he remained silent.

"Ah ha!" Connor exclaimed loudly, causing McLaggen to glance over and let the Quaffle soar past him and into the waiting hoop.

"Oi! Shut it you two or you'll be off the pitch!" He shouted, turning back to the players and giving Annie some "helpful hints" to improve her perfect technique. Connor made a rude hand gesture at his back and turned back to Scorpius.

"You didn't deny it." He sang, an infuriatingly smug expression on his face.

"If I had then would've been classed as 'getting my wand in a knot'." Scorpius huffed, "I just can't win."

"Nope." Connor said, leaning back in his seat, looking thoroughly pleased with himself.

They passed the rest of the afternoon watching the Gryffindors, with Connor cursing at various intervals the talent of their team. Sitting the stands Scorpius had plenty of time to think about his deal with the Slytherins. On the one hand, this "plan" could come to nothing, be nothing more than a harmless prank - but he didn't like to hope. That gang was clever, and "the creatures" didn't sound like fun and games. He was still frantically running ill-advised schemes through his head when Wood strode out onto the pitch and told the Gryffindors to get off. Despite retiring from professional Quiddich ten years previously, Wood still wore his Puddlemere United uniform at all times. Even the Slytherins team couldn't help respecting him - he'd helped his team to seven consecutive league victories with his Keeping skills. Grudgingly, the Gryffindor team dismounted and made for the changing rooms.

Connor lead Scorpius down to the pitch, where Annie and Lily waited. Connor swept Annie up into his arms and kissed her,

"You were brilliant." He whispered into her hair.

Lily made a retching sound and turned to Scorpius,

"Do you reckon they've got some sort of brain malfunction that causes them temporary blindness when they see each other?" She said with a wry smile.

Scorpius wanted to answer, but something wouldn't quite work in his throat. He looked down at Lily - her hair was even messier than usual, and her pale face was flecked with mud but her eyes still danced from the exhilaration of flying.

"Something like that." He choked, and he didn't miss Connor slipping him a side glance.

Seemingly oblivious, Lily laughed.

"Come on then. I'm starving." She said as she led them back towards the castle where smells of dinner were already wafting from the kitchens. Lily and Annie fell back after a while, talking about practice, leaving Scorpius to Connor's mercy.

"I'm not going to say anything." Connor smiled as they climbed the stone steps up to the castle.

"Good." Scorpius replied, "Don't."

Connor was smug all the way through dinner and Scorpius couldn't help glancing over at the Gryffindor table where Lily sat next to Annie and the twins laughing animatedly.

_She's a fourth year. _He thought to himself as he ate.

_Annie's a fourth year. _Another part of his brain countered.

_She's also Harry Potter's daughter._

_So?_

_You're Draco Malfoy's son!_

_Oh yeah. Crap._

_Just stop it. She's just a girl, who is a friend._

_And who happens to be funny and kind and clever... not to mention attractive._

_Shut up. _

_Oh great. _Scorpius thought. _Now I'm schizophrenic._

Suddenly he felt eyes watching him from across the room and sure enough, when he looked up, the Slytherins were watching him with interest.

_Ah yes_ - a_nd there's that._

_**A/N - Reviews please? That would be ever so nice. **_


	6. The Riddle Society

_**Disclaimer - I still don't own Harry Potter - big surprise. **_

_**A/N - This is my shortest chapter so far, so sorry about that. You'd rather have a short, good chapter than a drawn out bad one wouldn't you? Yes? Good. **_

Scorpius awoke on Monday morning with butterflies in his stomach. The combination of his predicament with the Slytherins and his disturbingly pleasant dreams of Lily was not helping his sleep pattern. He was distracted as he made his way down to breakfast with Connor, and let his friend babble on about Quidditch and Annie all the way to the Great Hall. Despite the breakfast laid out on the golden platters being as delicious as usual, Scorpius found his appetite almost non-existent. He picked at his plate of eggs with Connor watching him warily,

"Don't think I haven't noticed." He said, as he tucked into his toast.

"Noticed what?" Asked Scorpius, with a vain attempt at nonchalance.

"Oh, I don't know... That you aren't talking or eating? And don't assume I don't know why, either." Connor said meaningfully.

"I wouldn't dream of it." Scorpius muttered as Connor continued,

"It's Lily. You have unfortunately discovered that I know you better than you know yourself and despair of it. Now you are afraid that she won't feel the same and you risk making a fool of yourself around her."

Scorpius only grunted in answer. Connor was right - of course he was - but he didn't know the half of it.

"You know, I reckon she fancies you, too."

Scorpius looked over at the Gryffindor table, where Lily was untying a letter from the owl that had just landed in front of her. He couldn't help noticing how white her neck was in contrast with her bright hair was she swept it behind her ear. He told himself to snap out of it and turned his attention back to his breakfast. Connor had to be wrong, she couldn't like him that way. After all, she was Lily Potter, she could take her pick of almost any of the boys in the school - why should she even think of him, the son of her father's enemy? He hoped she didn't anyway - for her own sake.

Unfortunately for Scorpius, he was wrong about Lily. She put aside her letter from her Grandmother and looked over at the Ravenclaw table. Connor was talking to Scorpius, who didn't seem to be paying attention, but pushing his breakfast around his plate. She wondered what was wrong.

"Lily?" Annie's voice brought her back to earth with a bump.

"Yeah?" She replied with an absent smile.

"I was going to ask what our first lesson was, but now I want to know what's so distracting!" Annie laughed, looking over at Connor and Scorpius and smiling, "Oh."

"Oh what?" Lily asked, flustered.

"Now I know who was distracting you." Annie said with a conspiratorial smile. "Perhaps Connor was right about you two." She nodded at Scorpius, and Lily blushed.

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean." Lily hissed, as Rose sat down beside her.

"You know exactly what I mean." Annie stated, "Or why would you be blushing?"

"I am not blushing!" Lilt exclaimed, her hands flying to her cheeks.

"Yes you are!" Annie insisted, "Isn't she Rose?"

"Yes, a little." Rose agreed, "Why?"

"We were talking about Scorpius." Annie interjected before Lily could defend herself.

"Oh." Said Rose, pouring milk onto her cereal, "Not sure what your Dad will have to say about that."

"About what?" Lily asked, desperately.

"You and Scorpius - Merlin! What if you get married?"

"No one is marrying anyone!" Lily insisted, gathering her books and getting up from the table. She flounced out of the Great Hall and down to the dungeons where she waited for the rest of her Potions class. Annie was so presumptuous, so what if she was friends with Scorpius. Just because Annie and Connor had known each other about an hour before they started going out didn't mean she and Scorpius would. But why should it bother her so much?

_It's because you like him. _The part of her mind that sounded like Annie teased her.

_No it isn't. It's because everyone's being stupid. _

_Did it ever bother you before? _

_No._

_There you are then. _

_This is ridiculous. _She thought, _You are talking to yourself. That can't be healthy. _

"Miss Potter?" A voice interrupted her thoughts, "Are you quite alright?" Professor Slughorn asked as he opened the door to the classroom.

"Yes, thank you Professor." She answered quickly, "I was just... distracted."

"That's quite understandable, my dear, quite understandable." He smiled, "The start of a new school year can be rather hectic."

She nodded in agreement as the rest of her class entered the passageway.

"Here we all are, then!" Slughorn said, ushering the fourth years into the classroom. "We're going to start off this year by looking at antidotes."

The class filed in and Lily took her place next to Hugo at the back of the class and sighed.

"You're happy today." Hugo commented, "What's up?"

"Ugh, nothing really." She replied, but sighed as he looked at her seriously (something Hugo didn't do often).

"Just Annie teasing me about Scorpius." She admitted reluctantly.

"Malfoy? Nice." Hugo said. "That kind of thing doesn't usually bother you, though."

"Thanks a lot. That really helps." She said sarcastically.

"Will you shut up and listen a second?" Hugo hissed as Professor Slughorn wrote the lesson's assignment on the board. "All I'm saying is maybe it gets to you because there's an inkling of truth in there but you don't want to admit it."

She glared after him as he went to the store cupboard to retrieve the day's ingredients. Hugo knew her better than anyone, except maybe her mother, but this time he was wrong. Very definitely wrong. She settled down to chopping her mandrake roots without speaking to Hugo, who smiled a little and shook his head. That girl was stubborn when she wanted to be.

Across the castle in Transfiguration, Scorpius was just as distracted. He barely heard Professor Victis's lecture on the right way to turn a raven into a writing desk, and had to ask Connor what the spell was when they were set to practising. Connor merely shook his head and pointed his wand at the black raven in front of him,

"Scribulo." he said, and the raven gave a loud squawk as it's feathers disappeared and it morphed into a magnificent mahogany writing desk.

"OK then, Scribulo." Scorpius repeated, pointing his own wand at the bird on his desk. It squawked loudly but only puffed out like a Muggle cartoon in the shape of a desk. Connor burst out laughing as Scorpius looked, confused, at his attempt at the spell.

"Looks like you'll be getting extra homework, Mr Malfoy." Professor Victis sneered from the front of the classroom. "It looks as though you will be busy this year. Oh and by the way, your detention is at five o'clock this Saturday - you and Miss Potter are going on a trip into the Forest with Hagrid."

"You were right." Connor whispered, "That girl really is bad for you."

The rest of the day passed far too quickly for Scorpius, who found himself climbing the stairs to the Owlery before he'd had time to collect his thoughts. Unfortunately, the Slytherins were waiting for him when he arrived.

"Ah, Malfoy. Good to see you. We were beginning to think you wouldn't show." Zabini said as he entered. The other Slytherins still eyes him suspiciously, but if Zabini still thought he wasn't trustworthy he hid it well.

"I suppose it is time to tell you the whole plan, now. You know, of course, that out target is Lily Potter. I don't know how much you heard but our plan is to take place at this year's Yule Ball."

Although the Yule Ball was usually associated with the Triwizard Tournament, Professor McGonagall had re-introduced it as a yearly event after the War, in an attempt to raise spirits. There would be masses of people confined to a small space, teachers would be more relaxed, and it was the perfect setting for a kidnapping. The Slytherins had planned it well.

"Once we have separated her from the masses, she will be taken into the Forest, where we have...arranged for her to meet with some friends of ours. It is well known that Harry Potter nearly met his end with the Acromantula colony in the Forest, now his daughter will suffer the fate he should have met."

This was worse than Scorpius could ever have imagined. They really meant to kill her? Scorpius fought to keep his face calm and expressionless as he said,

"May I ask how you are going to get Potter into the Forest without becoming prey to the creatures yourselves?" He looked at Zabini but it was Nott who spoke up,

"We've been leaving an offering every Saturday night at the same place at the same time. The creatures come every week to feast on what we bring - it so happens that on that particular night it will be Little Miss Potter."

"That's clever." Said Scorpius, trying to sound appreciative of the plan that struck fear into his heart.

"It was reasonably clever, but now it's a lot cleverer. With you involved I think success will be almost too easy - you are trusted by her and therefore you will be able to remove her from the masses with relative ease. We can manage from there, and we will deliver her to the Forest and leave the Acromantula to do their job."

Scorpius repressed a shudder, and smiled. This was going to be difficult, very difficult.

"I'm sorry about the curse, by the way." Zabini added, "Obviously it doesn't apply within the group, but you will be unable to discuss our plans with outsiders. Now you know the whole plan we're going to have to take some more serious measures."

More serious measures? Scorpius gulped - what were they going to do to him?

"Hold out your left arm." Zabini ordered, and Scorpius felt the colour drained from his face. His father's Dark Mark still terrified him, although it looked faded on Draco's arm. Zabini drew his wand, and Scorpius braced himself for the pain he was sure would follow. He felt a sharp pain shooting up his arm - it seemed to spread coldness through his entire body and he shivered.

"What was that?" He asked before he could stop himself.

"A lesser known variety of the Fidelius Charm. It makes every person who knows the secret bound to keep it - the charm that now lies in your blood freezes when you are about to reveal the secret to someone. You will suddenly feel very cold... and then you will be dead." Zabini smiled, "Welcome to the Riddle Society."

The Slytherins left, the door of the Owlery banging shut behind them. Scorpius leant on the windowsill for support and breathed in and out slowly for a few seconds. This was it. He was trapped, well and truly. There was a slight possibility the Slytherins were bluffing, but he doubted it. If they were really up for killing Lily then they wouldn't hesitate to use a charm like that. His only option was the Library - there had to be a book in there that helped. There had to be a loophole, and Scorpius had to find it. Forcing his legs to stop quaking, he made his way to the Library.

Thankfully, it was almost deserted when he entered and made his way over to the Charms section.

"F - Ferula... Feistis... Fidelius!" He took the heavy, leatherbound book from its perch and took it over to his favourite corner armchair. He sat down and opened the book,

"Better start at the beinning then." He sighed and began to read.

_The Fidelius Charm has been used to keep Wizarding Secrets for over twelve centuries and was developed by the Italian wizard Georgio Altricco to conseal his numerous affairs from his wife by making sure he was the only person who could tell her. As such, the charm has always been looked upon by Academics as an ironic one... _

Four hours later Madam Pince ordered the few remaining occpants out of the Library. Scorpius sighed and put the book back on the shelf - he wasn't going to risk the Slytherins finding out he was looking up the Fidelius Charm, no matter how fruitless his attempts seemed at the moment. The book mentioned nothing about other methods of keeping secrets, and referred only to the original system of Secret Keepers. He was going to have to look elsewhere for loopholes.

"Where the Hell have you been?" Connor yelled as Scorpius slouched into their dormitory.

"The Library." He replied, "You sound like my mother."

"Well why were you in there, for Merlin's sake?" Connor persisted, ignoring the mother comment.

"Hiding from you." Scorpius said sarcastically.

"Someone's cheery this evening." Connor replied, punching Scorpius on the shoulder. Scorpius didn't reply, but went to the bathroom to brush his teeth.

"Don't worry - I forgive you!" Connor called after him, "It's probably just lovesickness."

Scorpius rolled his eyes as he brushed his teeth. It was only the fifth day of term, but he was tired, his arm still hurt vaguely from Zabini's Charm and it was up to him to save Lily Potter from a horrible death that he was going to cause. This was definitely going to be an interesting year.

_**A/N - I am shocked to have to inform you that I got zero reviews for the last chapter - that's ZERO reviews. Not that I care *sniff* I just like to know people appreciate what I do *sniff* **_


	7. Into the Forest

_**Disclaimer - I don't own Harry Potter, otherwise I wouldn't be writing this - I'd be rolling in my heaps of money. **_

**_A/N - Right - next chapter finally up. This had felt like forever (thanks writers block and exams) but here it is! Enjoy._**

Lily rushed down to the Great Hall for dinner, completely distracted. She was still thinking about what Hugo and Annie had said about Scorpius. They'd only known each other for five days, after all, but it seemed like so much longer. They'd just sort of clicked, and Lily hadn't missed the look on his face after Quidditch practice the previous day. She was so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she marched headlong into someone. She looked up to see a familiar blonde haired boy smiling down at her.  
"Someone's distracted." Scorpius said, and she prayed she wasn't blushing.

"Yeah... Aren't you going to dinner?" She added, and to her surprise he looked bashful.

"Just to the... um... library." He muttered, not making eye contact. Lily pretended not to notice and shook her head.

"You Ravenclaws, honestly." He gave a shy smile at that and said,

"Yeah; can't pull us away from our study. See you later." He was half way down the corridor when he remembered,  
"Lily!" He shouted, and she turned.

"Detention the Second is this Saturday, at five o'clock, in the Forest with Hagrid."

"I'll look forward to it." She smiled, and his heart skipped a beat. He wished it would stop doing that.

Lily made her way into the Great Hall and sat down in between the Creevey twins.

"Good day?" Asked Bella, making conversation.

"Not too bad." Lily replied, "Just found out I'm going to have to back out of Quidditch practice on Saturday because I have another detention. I think McLaggen's gonna have a fit."

"I'll get a camera." Bella said, and Lily giggled.

"Sounds like a plan." She said, "Then you'll have evidence that it was he who killed me."

Bella smiled and returned to her dinner. Lily ate absent mindedly, wondering what had been wrong with Scorpius, because he wasn't himself at all. Perhaps he was merely embarrassed; he had to be getting just as much crap from Connor as she was from Annie. In fact, from what she had deigned of Connor so far, Scorpius was probably suffering from the teasing even worse than she was.

When she noticed Cormac McLaggen striding towards her down the Hall, Lily got up and almost sprinted out of the Hall. She didn't want to have this confrontation with McLaggen now – she knew if he annoyed her she would ne dup cursing him, and she wasn't about to do that in the middle of dinner, with all the teachers watching.

When Lily reached the portrait hole she gave the password and clambered through, going straight to the dormitories and collapsing onto her bed. Then she remembered; Professor Victis had given her twelve inches of parchment on the evolution of methods of Transfiguring foods. This was something Lily just didn't understand, and Victis was utterly unsympathetic with her struggles, so picking up her books she headed down the stairs towards the library, hoping beyond hope that she wouldn't bump into McLaggen on the way. She was not in a good mood, what with Annie's teasing, her secret fears that her friend was right and far too many inches of homework she feared a meeting with the big-headed brute would push her over the edge into temporary madness.

She dumped her bags by a desk in the library and stomped off to find a book she prayed would help her. She shoved her tenth book back onto its shelf with a sigh and turned to the second shelf of transfiguration books when she caught sight of Scorpius sitting in an armchair in the corner of the Library, his nose buried in a books called _Spelling out Secrets. _He was so absorbed in the book he didn't notice her there as she debated whether or not to disturb him. Why was he looking in a book about secrets?

_Probably just a school project _Lily thought to herself, _you are looking far too far into this._

Shaking her head at her own paranoia, she pulled another book from the shelf and set to researching her essay once more. Eventually she found something and sat down to write, when she was done she only had seven inches, and Professor Victis wasn't going to be fooled by big writing. She looked at the clock – Madam Pince would throw her out of the library in just over an hour. She buried her head in her hands as she thought of the third detention she would now receive and her imminent slow death at the hands of McLaggen. She was just about to give up and go to bed when she jumped to hear a familiar voice,

"Having trouble there?" She looked up to see Scorpius standing behind her, a grin on his face.

"Just a bit." She replied irritably.

"What appears to be the problem?" He asked, swinging out a chair and planting himself on it.

"Victis." She moaned, and he nodded knowingly.

"I thought as much; the way you held your head in your hands, eyelids drooping, is a classic symptom of Victis." He said seriously, and Lily couldn't help but smile.

"That's better. Now what precisely is the problem?" He asked.

"Twelve inches on the evolution of Transfiguration with food." She grumbled, and he laughed.

"Your enthusiasm astounds me." He chuckled, and she shot him a dark look.

"OK, no jokes." He muttered, and pulled a clean piece of parchment towards them. "You really are in a wonderful mood this evening."

"Are you going to help me or not?" Lily asked, suddenly.

"Only if you ask me nicely." Scorpius smiled, and Lily scowled. On the one hand giving in was something she never did, growing up with two older brothers had taught her not to, but on the other she really needed to get this done and she wasn't going to do it alone. Grudgingly, she opened her eyes and fluttered her eyelashes at Scorpius, saying,  
"Please Scorpius, do help me with my Transfiguration for that slimy git Victis."

"That's better." He grinned, standing up. "Wait here for just a second." He returned in no time, holding a heavy, leatherbound book, which he dropped onto the desk before Lily.  
"There you go – that book has everything you could ever need to know about Transfiguring food."

Lily opened the book to the first page, entitled _A History of Transfiguration in Cookery.  
_  
"You are an angel." Lily breathed, flicking through the pages.

"You didn't hear it from me." Scorpius said with a wink. "And you also didn't hear from me that pages seventeen, fifty six and a hundred and twelve are particularly helpful."

"Gotcha." She smiled as he got up to leave.

"Oh, and Scorpius, how come you were reading a book about secrets?" She couldn't help adding as walked away.

"What? Are you stalking me now?" He asked, and she blushed,

"No, I saw you earlier whilst I was looking for a useful book." She explained, wishing her cheeks would return to their natural pale pink.

"Ah, of course." He replied, "It was homework for Jordan, looking up various Wizarding methods of keeping secrets." He still didn't manage to look her in the eye and although his excuse was utterly plausible, Lily found herself growing even more suspicious.

"See you on Saturday." He smiled, and left her alone with her thoughts. She skimmed through the book and found that by the end of her essay she had over fourteen inches, even Professor Victis would have to admit it was good.

She dragged her bag behind her, letting it bump up the stairs as she made her way back to the common room. It was far too heavy for her to pick up, and her eyelids were heavy too. When she finally got up to her dormitory she found the other girls asleep and she got into her pyjamas as quietly as possible. She collapsed on the soft bedding and fell asleep almost instantly, but her mind was still reeling and her dreams were vivid.

She was following Scorpius down a dark corridor, and watched as he pulled back a curtain and slipped through it. She pursued him as quietly as possible, but her footsteps seemed to echo all around. She pulled back the curtain and stepped into the room, but as soon as the curtain fell back behind her she was enveloped in blackness, she reached for her wand, but could not find it, and as she took a tentative step forward she found herself falling down into the blackness and sat up abruptly in bed. It was still night, and Ella was snoring lightly in the bed next to her. She fell back on her pillows and mused on her dream. Why was she so bothered about what Scorpius was keeping from her? It wasn't any of her business anyway, but she couldn't help being curious. It must be her father coming out in her, she finally decided.

Lily closed her eyes and attempted to sleep again, cursing her father for giving her his curious disposition. Eventually she drifted back off to sleep, but was rudely awakened by Annie,  
"Lily, I'd get up if I were you. McLaggen's waiting at the bottom of the stairs for you."

"What?" Lily asked, sitting bolt upright in bed.

"Yeah, he kinda found out about your second detention and I think he's going to kill you."

"But... how did she find out about it?"

Annie glanced meaningfully at Ella, who blushed.

"Sorry. It just sort of slipped out..." She muttered, and Lily shook her head, jumping out of bed and stomping down the stairs. When she got to the bottom she found an irate McLaggen staring at her; she leant against the wall and crossed her arms.

"Look, McLaggen, if you insist on serenading me I'd suggest the window... less public." She said, glancing around at the assembled crowd. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Albus shake his head and Rose giggle. She must have been an intimidating sight, her messy red hair in a mane around her head and a frown etched on her face. McLaggen's eyebrows rose into his messy brown hair and he stuttered to find a comeback,

"I... Just look here Potter; I can't have a Seeker who doesn't turn up to practice because she's got detention. I'll let you off this one, but one more before the Ravenclaw match and you're off the team." He said; his intimidating anger all gone.

"Thank you, oh benevolent Captain." Lily smirked, making an elaborate bow. She rolled her eyes and made her way back up the stairs. She dressed in a hurry and made her way down to breakfast, with the eyes of every Gryffindor on her. She felt like she was blushing all day, with almost every person she came across asking about the incident with McLaggen. At one point she had to inform a fifth year that no, she did not slap McLaggen.

The whole week she seemed to be the centre of attention, with the rumours growing wilder and wilder. When Saturday finally came Lily breathed a sigh of relief. It would be nice to get out with just Scorpius and Hagrid, to escape the multitudes. She'd forgotten how claustrophobic the huge castle could get, especially if you were famous, and especially if you had a knack for trouble. She spent a lazy morning sitting with Annie and the twins on her bed, giggling and eating the cakes that Lily's Grandmother had sent. Lily couldn't believe it when the clock read quarter to five.

"How long have we been talking for?" Lily exclaimed as she pulled on her shoes.

"We didn't get up until twelve." Ella pointed out, "And then we had to cover Connor, Hermione's baby, homework, and how much of a git McLaggen is... it takes a while."

"You're lucky you're escaping before we moved on to Scorpius." Smirked Annie and Lily rolled her eyes.

"Are you ever going to give up on that?" She asked, exasperated.

"Nope." Annie declared, popping an Every-Flavoured Bean into her mouth and promptly spitting it out.

"Actually, maybe it's better you're going now – it'll be easier to talk about it without you there!" She continued, throwing the Bean into the bin with perfect Chaser's aim. Lily made a rude hand gesture at them, received with a chorus of "Oooh!" from her friends.

With one last withering look Lily took off down the stairs, heading towards Hagrid's Hut. She arrived at five on the dot, to find Hagrid and Scorpius standing waiting for her awkwardly.

"Good, good, glad you've arrived Lily. We'll be off then." Hagrid muttered, striding towards the forest.

"Do I run on a different clock to everyone else?" Lily asked, astounded.

"Probably," Scorpius replied, "I've been here for five minutes already."

"Hurry up you two!" Hagrid hollered, his long legs had carried him to the forest edge already, and Lily and Scorpius trailed behind. When they caught up, he lowered his voice and told them,

"Right. I've asked for some 'elp with this, 'cause there's been some funny business goin' on in the forest. I've been findin' some scraps o' cloth around the same place near on every week. I've seen human and... other tracks leadin' to and from the place. We're goin' to 'ave a look, alright?"

"Alright." The two replied, and Lily noticed Scorpius go white. She wouldn't have thought him to be the cowardly type. Nevertheless, he turned to her when he noticed her looking at him and smiled.

"Don't worry, I'll protect you." He grinned, and she scoffed,

"Like I need protecting."

"You've got a point." Scorpius acknowledged, "I hear you've been beating up McLaggen."

"Don't even go there." Lily said, following Hagrid into the Forest. "I've been fending off questions about that all week. Of all the times McLaggen could have chosen to attempt to threaten me, it had to be seven in the morning. Let's just say I wasn't best pleased, although he came to no physical harm."

"That's a shame." Scorpius said as they made their way through the trees. "I would've liked to see McLaggen on the end of one of your curses."

"Shush now, you two." Hagrid whispered gruffly, "We're getting near now, can you hear that?"

Lily and Scorpius stopped in their tracks, listening hard. From not far away there came a shuffling sound, like an animal.

Suddenly, there came a bloodcurdling animal scream and Lily jumped violently, almost toppling Scorpius who was standing next to her. Her heart had never beaten so fast, and her breath came in ragged gasps. She felt Scorpius gently take her hand, and as she looked up at him he smiled through the darkness. She didn't want to admit it, but she was glad for the comfort as they moved as silently as they could towards the source of the noise.

Hagrid waved them over to a patch of bushes through which they could peer unseen. A dirty, huddled mass lay in the centre of a clearing, shaking violently. As Lily moved her head to get a better look, she overbalanced and fell; her hand slipping out of Scorpius's and tumbled through the bush. When she looked up she found herself staring into the huge, glistening eyes of the creature.

"Merlin." She whispered.

_**A/N - Cliffy, I know! Any ideas on what it is in the Forest? I only got 2 reviews on my last chapter :( although much thanks to starlinc and Beautiful Dead for their lovely ones! **_


	8. Out of the Darkness

_**Disclaimer - I have not acquired the Harry Potter franchise since I last updated... surprisingly. **_

_**A/N - So... what's in the Forest? Here we find out! Thanks for all your wonderful reviews and brilliant guesses, although no one was quite right! Some of them I read and thought "Damn, I wish it was that!" but hey ho... Enjoy! **_

For a few seconds the two remained still, looking at each other intently. Lily not daring to move for fear of frightening it, for the enormous eyes of the tiny House Elf were full of tears and terror.

"Don't worry." Lily breathed, "We're here to help you."

The elf continued to look at Lily, its bottom lip began to tremble and it burst into hysterical sobs.

"Shh, shh." Lily whispered desperately, afraid that the noise would attract unwelcome guests. "It's alright."

The little creature looked up at her, tears making red tracks down its dirty face.

"Are you hurt?" Lily asked, and the elf whimpered, looking down at its leg, which was bound by a length of black rope. The skin around the binding was red raw, almost burnt looking. Lily gasped and went to untie it but the elf only let out another bloodcurdling scream,

"No! You mustn't touch it!" The elf held out its hands to stop Lily coming closer. "It will burn Miss!"

Lily stopped and looked back at the bushes where Scorpius and Hagrid were still waiting before turning back to the elf.

"My friends are just outside the clearing, they might be able to help." She said, and motioned for Hagrid and Scorpius to come forward. They stepped out of the bushes and crossed to where  
Lily was kneeling by the frightened elf.

Hagrid set to a close examination of the rope, and Scorpius knelt down next to Lily.

"Who did this to you?" He asked the tiny elf, but it only shook its head, the bat-like ears flapping ridiculously.

"Flitter does not know, sir. She was doing some cleaning of the boys bathroom when someone grabbed her from behind and shouted a spell to blind her. When Flitter could see again, she was here in the Forest."

"Couldn't you Apparate out?" Asked Scorpius in confusion.

"Flitter tried sir." She said, with another shake of her head, "But the rope held her here and burnt her when she tried to get away."

Hagrid looked stood up and looked deeper into the dark of the Forest,

"Tha' there's cursed rope, I've only ever seen it once before – it's powerful magic, something tha' should be far beyond a schoolchild."

"So what do we do?" Asked Lily, who was now rubbing Flitter's back as she sobbed quietly.

"You two go up the castle, bring Professor Jordan down. I'll stay here with Flitter."

Lily and Scorpius made to get up when Hagrid held out a hand,

"Shh." He said and they froze. In the distance, they could hear a heavy scuttling sound, it got closer and closer as Hagrid backed away from the trees to the edge of the clearing. Suddenly, a huge spider burst through the wall of foliage, its bulbous body covered in black hair, and Lily fought back a scream as it made a dash for them across the clearing, but then a jet of red light shot past her and the spider went flying through the air, hitting a tree with a sickening crunch. Lily looked behind her to see Scorpius standing, wand still raised, staring at where the creature had fallen.

"You know, most people run or attempt to defend themselves when mad spiders are attacking them." He said, his tone was joking but there was an inexplicable anger in his eyes.

"Panicked." She said, trying desperately to regulate her breathing. There were a few moments of horrible silence before the sound started up again, something was scuttling towards them, only this time it was louder, much louder than before.

"We have to get outta here." Hagrid said, looking down at the stunned House Elf with a mixture of guilt and pity. Scorpius nodded in agreement, and Lily looked at the other two, incredulous.

"We aren't leaving her hear – those things are going to be here any second."

She looked from Scorpius to Hagrid again, neither of whom would meet her eyes. She was about to speak again, to tell them what cowards they were being when she heard another tiny voice,

"Go, Miss and Sirs. Leave Flitter here, there is nothing that can be done. But please, Sirs and Miss, when you get back to the castle, find an Elf named Dibsy and tell him that his Flitter is waiting for him in heaven."

"No." Lily said, and she felt every eyes in the clearing turn to her. "You are going to come back to the castle with us."

She ran over to the tethered elf and attempted to untie the rope from her leg. As soon as she touched it, she felt a searing pain in her hands. She could feel her palms burning as she tried desperately to remove the rope from around the ankle of the elf. She could barely see what she was doing through the tears that welled in her eyes as she fumbled with the rope. The scuttling sound was close now, almost deafening, and she felt herself being pulled up and dragged from the clearing as she saw ten, then twenty, then fifty giant spiders enter the clearing, hundreds of glistening eyes staring at them as they ran. Lily couldn't see, only felt herself being pulled through the Forest, branches hitting her as she ran. She heard another strangled scream, cut off suddenly, echoing through the Forest. When they finally broke through the final row of trees and emerged into the dark grounds, Lily fell to her knees, her body shaking with sobs. Scorpius knelt down next to her and put a comforting hand on her shoulder, but she shrugged him off.

"Don't touch me." She hissed, and he stepped back. They let her cry for a few seconds before she turned to them,

"How could we? We just left her there to die!"

"We had to, Lily. They would have killed us too, if we had stayed." Scorpius tried to reason gently, but Lily only stared at him, eyes blazing.

"We could have _tried._" She shouted, her anger echoing through the grounds. "But you just dragged me away, like cowards." She was quite beyond herself now, her usually warm brown eyes blazing with anger and her hair like a halo of flame around her head. She shot Scorpius and Hagrid a last withering look before storming away across the grounds towards the castle.  
Scorpius looked worriedly after her, and then to Hagrid, who nodded at him to follow her. Without further ado, Scorpius pelted into the darkness after the girl.

"Lily!" He called as he drew level with her, his long legs allowing him to catch her up.

"Go away, Scorpius." She said, her voice wavering from the tears that poured down her face.

"Don't do this, please. You know we didn't have a choice." He pleaded with her.

"You know what, Scorpius?" She said, whirling to face him, "I used to think you were brave, that you were better than everyone thought, but apparently I was wrong. You are coward, just like your father. Flitter may have only been a House Elf but she had just as much worth as the rest of us. I should have known better than to think you were more than a Malfoy." She spat as she turned around to storm back to the castle, but he grabbed her by the arm and whirled her around to face him. He was bubbling over with anger, and he was afraid for a second of what he would do, but then Lily looked in to his angry, guilty eyes and the fight went out of her.

"I'm sorry." She whimpered, and he couldn't help softening. The helpless look that she had now made it impossible to remain angry with her.

"It's alright." He said, and he put his arms around her and let her sob into his robes.

"No, it isn't. I shouldn't have said that, you didn't deserve it." She whimpered.

"You were angry." He shushed her, letting go.

"That isn't an excuse." She said, looking up at him sheepishly, "But I didn't mean it."

"I know." He said, with a small smile. He tucked her under his arm and walked her back up to the castle.

"Are you alright?" He asked when they reached the Entrance Hall, "Or do you need to go to the Hospital Wing?"

"No, I'm alright." She replied, "But I want to go down to the kitchens."

"Oh." Said Scorpius, suddenly remembering Flitter's last request with horrible clarity. "Yeah."

They stood in awkward silence for a few seconds before Lily asked meekly,

"Will you come with me?"

"Of course." Scorpius replied, taking her hand again to lead her to the painting of a fruit bowl that would allow them access to the Hogwarts kitchens. Scorpius tickled the pear, and the painting swung forward. The huge kitchen was surprisingly cold and empty looking at night, and Lily shivered.

Suddenly, they heard a voice behind them and jumped,

"What is it you are wanting, Sir and Miss?"

They turned to see a tiny elf, wearing a fluffy blue towel sitting on a stool in the corner of the kitchen.

"Dibsy is sorry to have frightened you." He said, and Lily's heart skipped a beat. "Can Dibsy help you?"

Lily's mouth went dry. She couldn't tell this helpless creature that his love had just been brutally slaughtered. She simply stood staring at him for a few seconds before Scorpius spoke up,

"We have some... unfortunate news."

The elf's eyes widened, and his next words were so high Scorpius could barely hear them.

"Flitter?"

Scorpius nodded gravely.

"Someone abducted her while she was out cleaning tonight and..." He couldn't finish his sentence, but trailed off under the intense stare of the anguished elf.

"Has Flitter gone to the Hospital Wing?" He asked softly, "Should Dibsy go to her?"

"We're sorry Dibsy," Lily cut in, unable to witness the elf's confusion any longer, "She didn't make it."

Dibsy looked from her to Scorpius, who nodded gravely. He whimpered once and dropped to the floor. He put his head in his hands and began to moan softly, rocking back and forth where he sat on the cold stone flags of the kitchen.

"There was nothing we could do." Lily said, pleading with the elf to understand. "She asked us to come to tell you that... that she's waiting for you in heaven."

Dibsy raised his huge eyes to Lily, not full of tears as she expected, but hollow and empty.

"And Miss had time to hear Flitter's message but not to save her?" Dibsy asked, and Lily's heart sank.

"She was... she was bound by a curse rope. I tried to free her, I really did." She explained, her eyes beginning to fill with tears again, frustration with her inability to convey to the agonized elf the desperate situation they had been in.

"But in the end, the lives of Sir and Miss were more important than the life of a House Elf." Dibsy said, and Lily was shocked by his simple, matter of fact tone.

"No!" She said desperately, "There was nothing we could have done... there were so many of them... we couldn't have... we tried..." She faltered off, staring at the floor in shame.

"Even the bravest Gryffindor house would not save an elf. Even bravest Gryffindors do not understand, do not care for the feelings of their servants. Who cares for the elf who has died? _Dibsy _cares, but Dibsy is just another elf. He has no feelings. He will happily continue to sweep Miss's floors and make Miss's bed because she is _sorry._ And she _tried." _Lily started back at Dibsy, shocked by his anger. She opened her mouth to defend herself, but could not speak. She knew he was right, nothing felt like enough. Nothing would console him, and nothing would make it better.

"Don't blame her." Scorpius interjected. "She wanted to stay, she wanted to help. It was me who dragged her away. She's come down here to give you Flitter's message when she should be at the Hospital Wing because she burnt her hand trying to free her."

Dibsy looked as though he might burst again, but then he looked at Lily, tears running down her face, and sighed.

"Dibsy is sorry for his words, Miss. He did not mean to be so horrible."

"Don't apologise." Lily insisted, kneeling down beside him. "You were right, we should have done more. But I promise whoever did this will be found."

"And what is the point of that?" Asked Dibsy, putting his head on his knees. "What is the point if it will not bring her back?"

Scorpius could find no answer, but looked to Lily, who shook her head.

Dibsy continued to rock on the floor, strangled sobs ripping themselves from his chest and growing until another tiny elf emerged from a side door.

"What is wrong with Dibsy, Sir and Miss?" She asked, looking down at her friend.

"Flitter's been killed." Scorpius said, and Dibsy wailed on the floor beneath him. The other elf gasped and shook her head.

"That is a terrible thing, Sir and Miss. Dibsy will not recover, oh and he will blame himself." She fretted, leaning down to pat the stricken elf on the shoulder in a vain attempt to comfort him.

"How could he think that? It wasn't his fault. It was those monsters who took her." Lily exclaimed.

"He will think it is his fault, Miss. You see, he was meant to be cleaning the boys bathrooms tonight, but he had a headache Miss. So Flitter offered to do it for him. He has been waiting up all  
night for her to come back."

Lily felt tears welling in her eyes again, and stood up to try to wipe them away.

"Do not cry, Miss." The elf said, "Dibsy will be alright, in time."

"Perhaps it would be best if we left." Scorpius said as more and more elves appeared to crowd around Dibsy.

"Maybe that would be best, Sir." One of the elves squeaked as they gathered around their grief-stricken friend. Lily and Scorpius took one last look at the huddled form of Dibsy and went  
as quietly as possible back through the painting. Once outside, Lily let the tears flow silently down her face. Scorpius took hold of her shoulders and turned her to face him.

"Don't feel responsible. This isn't your fault." He said firmly.

"I just wish we could have done _something._" She said, desperately trying to stifle her sobs.

"But we couldn't. Imagine how your parents would have felt if you'd stayed to try and save her. You would have died, and she still would have died. No one would ever want to do something  
like that, but you didn't have a choice. Come on, you need to go to the Hospital Wing."

"I'm fine." Lily said, turning to go up the stairs to the Gryffindor Common Room.

"No you aren't," Scorpius said, "Show me your hands."

She turned sheepishly to him, palms raised, to show the angry red welts on her skin.

"Right. We are going to the Hospital Wing." Scorpius said sternly.

Lily bowed her head and let Scorpius lead her back down the corridor towards the Hospital Wing. They knocked softly on the doors of the Hospital Wing and Madam Patil opened it,

"What is it?" She asked briskly, looking down at them.

"I burnt my hands." Lily muttered, showing her palms to the nurse, who gasped and ushered her in, muttering about "what on earth these young people get up to in the dead of night".

"See you." Lily managed to say as Madam Patil whisked her away.

"See you." Scorpius muttered as the door closed, and he was left alone in the dark corridor.

_**A/N - I think I was having a really bad day when I wrote this... So sorry about all the sadness. Reviews are always welcome, all the ones I got for my last chapter were lovely and I would love to see some more! **_


	9. Midnight Maladies

**_Discalimer - Me no own, yes? _**

_**A/N - Soooo, a rather depressing last chapter so sorry about that. But it gets better in this one...a bit. Enjoy! **_

Scorpius turned around dejectedly, intending to head back to the dormitory where he would attempt to sleep, when he found himself face to face with Professor Longbottom.

"I'm sorry, Scorpius, I know you probably want to get some sleep but Professor McGonagall would like to see you in her office."

"That's alright; I don't think I was going to get any sleep anyway."

The Professor nodded knowingly, and Scorpius wondered how many sleepless nights the Deputy Head had suffered himself during his stay at school.

Scorpius followed him up the stairs, and despite the fact that his mind was still whirring madly he felt his feet scuff the steps as he struggled to lift them. When they finally reached the statue guarding the entrance to the Headmistress's office, Scorpius could barely keep his eyes open. He vaguely heard Professor Longbottom give the password "Shortbread" and saw the statue leap aside as they entered. Professor McGonagall was sitting behind her desk in a tartan dressing gown, her silver hair in a long plait down her back.

"Come in, Mr Malfoy, Professor." She said wearily, "Would you like a cup of tea?"

"Yes please, Headmistress." Professor Longbottom sighed, "And one for Scorpius as well, I think."

Scorpius looked up wearily at mention of his name and McGonagall nodded.

"I think you may be right, Neville." She said, handing Scorpius a cup of strong tea.

"Now I know you must have been through quite an ordeal tonight, but we do need to know exactly what happened."

"Well, Hagrid told us that he'd found tracks and scraps of cloth in the same place every week since last year, and he wanted us to go with him to help investigate..."  
For ten whole minutes Scorpius talked without interruption, only his own stuttering when he told them how they had fled from the clearing, leaving Flitter to her death, to stop the flow of the tale.

"So I took Lily down to the Hospital Wing, and Professor Longbottom found me."

Professor McGonagall sighed and rested her head in her hands, not speaking. Eventually, she sat up.

"Thank you, Mr Malfoy. I'm sure you'll want to go to bed now, you've had quite an evening."

Scorpius stood up shakily, he wished with all his might that he had the courage to turn around and tell the Headmistress exactly what he knew about this, but without knowing any more about the charm other than what Zabini had told him he couldn't bring himself to open his mouth. Cursing his cowardice he slouched from the room, tripping over more than one step on his way back to the dormitory. The boys were all asleep when he entered and collapsed on the bed, fully clothed. Finally he let his eyelids droop shut, but as soon as he began to slip into blissful oblivion he found himself once more in the dark of the Forest, hearing the screams of the dying elf as he, Lily and Hagrid dashed through the trees. Scorpius sat up in bed, sucking in quick breaths as he tried desperately to regulate his heartbeat. He pulled the covers up to his chin and tried to sleep, though he was now shivering violently.

Eventually, he drifted into a fevered sleep; his closed eyes once again betrayed him as he wandered through the Forest in his dreams. This time, however, it was different. He crept alone through the darkness until he heard a petrified scream. He was running, running as fast as he could towards the sound and as he broke through the last line of trees and saw Lily tied to a tree, her brown eyes wide with fear and tear streaks making red tracks down her porcelain skin. He made to move forwards but found that he himself was now bound by a cold white rope. He bent to try to loose the rope from his ankle but the cold froze his fingers. He started forward, calling to Lily. She looked up but her face was full of hatred. He had almost reached her when the rope holding him became taught, and he tripped. He reached out a hand to Lily, but she would not take it. Instead she stared down at him with a mixture of fear and distain as he tried desperately to pull her away from danger. In the distance, that terrible rumbling sound started up. The ground shook with it and Scorpius could barely hear his own  
shouts above the stampede and Lily's scream that rang in his ears even as his eyes snapped open.

The sun was beginning to filter through the windows of the dormitory as Scorpius sat up in bed, his head pounding. He rested it in his hands as he considered going to the Hospital Wing. As he got up to go to the small medicine cabinet in the bathroom his head gave a mighty pound and he saw stars. He fumbled for the door and tried to open it as quietly as possible. He stole through the deserted castle, passing only the Grey Lady as she floated dreamily down the Charms corridor. When he reached the Hospital Wing he knocked ever so gently on the door, not wanting to wake any sleeping patients. After a few seconds Madam Patil came to the door, looking irritable,

"I hope you have a good reason for getting me up Mr Malfoy." She said, putting her hands on her slim hips.

"Yes, sorry." He muttered. "I've been having really awful dreams all night and my head feels like it's about to split open."

Madam Patil sighed and opened the door.

"Boys." She sighed, ushering him in, "Always such drama. I'll give you a dreamless sleep potion and something for the pain in your head. Professor Longbottom has been to see me about you and Miss Potter's... escapades so I'm not surprised you're here." She thrust a small blue bottle at him and said,

"Drink that. It'll ease your headache." Scorpius swallowed the potion in one gulp and it felt as though cool water was running through his head.

"Thanks." He said, massaging his temples.

"Now I suggest you go back to your dormitory and sleep. It's Sunday so you won't miss any lessons. Take this," She gave him a thin black bottle and a small spoon, "just before you go to bed. Two spoonfuls should do it. There's enough in there for next week. Once you've run out try a night without it and if the dreams still bother you come back next Sunday... Preferably at a later hour."

Scorpius nodded as he was shepherded from the room, watched, though he didn't know it, by Lily.

She had tossed and turned all night, but sleep had been impossible. Eventually she had rolled over onto her back and stared up at the ceiling, thinking about the night's events and asking herself endless questions.  
_  
Who would do such a thing? _She thought as she watched a solitary spider descend on a silky thread to the floor.  
_  
The Slytherins. _She thought immediately.  
_  
But why?  
_  
That was the question that plagued her through the night. Not even the Slytherins would do something like this just for fun. The risk of getting caught was too high and the consequences too severe for it to be mere sport. Someone was up to something, and though her gut told her it must be, could be no one other than the Slytherins, her head reminded her that they appeared to have no motive for the senseless destruction of House Elves, despite their disregard for anything less than their own status as Pureblood Wizards. She just couldn't figure it out. When the sun was finally high enough in the sky for Madam Patil to get up and check her bandages Lily was impatient to leave. She had Quidditch Practice to go to, and though she didn't look forward to an entire day with McLaggen, the sport would take her mind of things. When Madam Patil finally unwound the bandages from her hands, Lily let out a sigh of relief that her burns were completely healed.

"You're lucky it wasn't a stronger curse." The nurse muttered as she examined Lily's palms, "Otherwise you would've been in here for days."

"So that means I can go?" Lily asked hopefully.

"Yes, I suppose you can." Madam Patil sighed. "I suppose you'll want to go to Quidditch Practice."

Lily smiled,  
"Sorry, we have to train up for our match against Ravenclaw."

"Loyalty to my house should make me trap you here, but I think you might go mad if you stay for more than another minute."

"I think you might be right." Lily said, getting up from her bed and making for the door. "Thank you."

She saw Madam Patil shake her head slightly as she dashed from the room. She took the stairs two at a time as she rushed to the dormitory. When she finally pushed open the door she felt crushed by the three other girls.

"Where the _Hell _have you been?" Annie asked, smacking Lily around the head.

"The Hospital Wing!" Lily exclaimed, holding up her hands in defence.

"Why?" Asked Ella, as the girls followed Lily to her four poster bed and watched her get out her Quidditch robes.

"I burnt my hands, I'll tell you about it later." She said, slipping her Quidditch robes over her head. "Come on Annie!" She said, gesturing to her friend to accompany her to the pitch. When she got no response, she grabbed Annie's hand and dragged her from the room.

"Why won't you talk about this?" Annie asked as they practically ran down the stairs. "There is something very wrong with you."

"Nothing, I just really want to get to Quidditch, I value my life and I'm not really in McLaggen's good books at the moment."

Annie stopped and looked at Lily,

"Lily, not once have you ever been able to fool me. Something is very wrong, and I want to know what it is. Is it Scorpius?" She asked; her piercing blue eyes unflinching and making Lily  
want to look away.

"No. It isn't Scorpius." She replied, "Something happened in the Forest last night. I don't want to have to think about it right now, alright? I just want to forget it for today."

Annie looked concerned, her eyebrows knitting together, but she nodded and let Lily lead the way towards the Quidditch pitch. When they arrived the rest of the team were waiting.

"Look who finally showed up." McLaggen sneered as they came onto the pitch.

"Shut it McLaggen. I spent last night in the Hospital Wing and I am not in the mood."

McLaggen visibly shrank from Lily's gaze and the team flew as one into the air. She darted around the pitch, feeling the wind in her hair as she scanned the area for a glimpse of gold, completely unaware of the rest of the team. Three times she caught and released the Snitch before McLaggen called an end to the session.

"Right, everyone that was a decent enough practice but we're going to have to work harder if we want to beat Ravenclaw."

The entire team groaned. It had been a perfectly good practice; The Chasers had scored twelve goals apiece while McLaggen was busy shouting at Hugo and Ben for not holding their bats right. Although they had still managed to hit the Bludgers with striking precision so that McLaggen almost fell from his broom. In the changing rooms, Lily was distracted. She knew she was going to have to talk to Professor McGonagall about the events in the Forest, and Annie wouldn't let her rest until she knew the whole story. The cowardly part of her wanted not to talk about it, to repress the memory and never have to think of it again; but the other part of her, the part that was Harry and Ginny's daughter, needed to know how it happened, and needed to put it right.

Making up her mind to go straight to the kitchens, Lily set off from the pitch, the eyes of the whole team on her. She heard Annie call after her, but she carried on, breaking into a run as she left the pitch behind her. Lily was almost sprinting as she went through the door and nearly knocked Scorpius flying.

"We need to stop meeting like this." He smiled weakly as she gawped at him. "Do you ever just walk anywhere?"

"No." She replied, smiling back at him.

"Are you alright, though?" He said, suddenly serious.

"No harm done." She chirped, smoothing out her robes, and Scorpius frowned.

"You know what I mean." He muttered, and she looked at her shoes.

"I suppose, Quidditch has taken my mind of it for a while but now..."

"Now?" He asked, bending down to look her in the eyes.

"Now I have to go down to the kitchens to talk to some House Elves." She said, pushing past him, eyes still downcast.

"Hey, hey, hey." He said, catching her by the waist as she made to escape to the kitchens. The sudden closeness made him blush, and he released her awkwardly. "Why are you going to  
the kitchens?"

"Because I want to ask about Flitter, see if there have been any other strange things going on." She told him, raising her eyes to meet his, defying him to stop her.

"And you were going to go without me?" He grinned, and Lily relaxed.

"I am most apologetic." She said, "Shall we?"

He followed her through the halls to the painting of a fruitbowl, where she gave the pear a gentle tickle to allow them entrance. When they climbed through the entrance, the atmosphere was hectic. Elves rushed around the kitchen, steam rose from huge pots bubbling on the numerous stoves and delicious smells wafted around the kitchen. No one even seemed to notice the presence of Lily and Scorpius until one of the scurrying elves crashed into them, sending roast potatoes flying all over the kitchen.

"Excuse me, Sir and Miss. Perhaps this is not the best time to be visiting the kitchens. Supper will be served in the Great Hall in less than half an hour."

"It's not that. We've just come to ask about Flitter, and to see how Dibsy is doing." Scorpius explained, and the elf looked down, her huge eyes filling with tears as she shook her head. A few of the other elves hurried her away, leaving Scorpius and Lily standing, confused, amongst the chaos.

"Dibbles is sorry about that, Sir and Miss. Letty is very upset about the recent events, Dibsy was her brother." A wrinkled elf appeared at their sides, shaking his head forlornly.

"Was?" Lily asked, grabbing Scorpius's arm for support.

"He threw himself from the Astronomy Tower early this morning; no one was able to save him."

Lily felt her eyes fill with tears again as she glanced at Scorpius, whose face was filled with shock.

"But... How could..?" She stuttered,

"Dibbles knows, Miss. It has been a terrible shock for all of us. There is fear now, as well, as to who may be taken next, but hopes are high that this terrible thing is only a one off."

Scorpius was suddenly jolted back into reality,  
"Dibbles, did any of the elves here leave suddenly towards the end of last year?" He asked, and Dibbles looked surprised.

"Why yes, sir. It seemed in the last half of the Summer Term House Elves were leaving every week. It was strange though..." He trailed off, suddenly very interested in a roast potato that had fallen from Letty's tray.

"What do you mean, strange?" He asked, but Dibbles shook his head.

"Dibbles meant nothing by it, Sir. Dibbles would not wan Sir to become worried about nothing."

"Dibbles, tell me." Scorpius whispered his eyes wide and pleading. The old House Elf looked up at him nervously, and glanced around the kitchen before lowering his voice and saying,

"Well, they told no one of their leaving, and the other elves found only a note in the morning."

Lily and Scorpius glanced at each other, both seeing the other's thoughts reflected in their eyes.

"Thank you, Dibbles, and our condolences, we'll leave you to get on now." Scorpius said gravely, taking Lily's hand and leading her from the kitchen. Once out of the heat of the kitchen they each let out a sigh.

"Wow." Scorpius breathed. "I never thought..." He broke off when he heard a sniff from Lily, who was trying hard to stem the flow of tears from her eyes.

"I'm sorry." She gasped, "I'm not usually like this, it's just... why would anyone want to do something like that? And poor Dibsy, I would never have tough he would... I'm sorry." She said again, "You must think I'm completely useless."

"If you think that you just might be." He said, pulling her hands down from her face where she was trying to stem the flow of tears. "You are the bravest girl, or person, that I ever met. I know you're not going to want this to continue, are you?"

"No." She whispered, and a small smile crept onto her lips.

"Good." He said, catching the last of her tears as they fell down her cheeks and pulling her into a hug before they began to climb the stairs leading up to the Great Hall. As they reached the Entrance Hall they heard a shriek,

"Lily!" Annie cried, running over to them, "I've been looking everywhere for you. Are you alright?"

Lily gave Scorpius one of her trademark eye rolls as Annie led her away and Scorpius couldn't help but laugh.

A cold voice from behind him made his heart seem to stop in his chest and all the warmth drain out of him as he turned to face the Slytherins.

"It seems we have hit a snag."

_**A/N - Dun dun duuuuun! They are bunch of evil prats aren't they? Anyhoo, reviews? Only two on the last chapter, but much thanks to Dumbledore'sArmy18 and AmazingxGracie for their great ones, I do appreciate a nice long review! **_


	10. Quidditch

_**Disclaimer - Don't own Harry Potter :( **_

**_A/N - So here's another chapter - I cannot believe I'm on chapter ten already! How time flies. Hope you enjoy this one... I'm having a go at writing Quidditch! Do tell me if you think I can improve on it, or if not..._**

Scorpius's heart leapt into his throat – had they heard his promise to help her? He desperately tried to look innocent as Zabini glanced around the now deserted Hall and motioned for him to follow them into an empty classroom.

"They're onto us." Nott said as soon as the door slammed shut behind them, advancing towards Scorpius, his face screwed up in anger,

"What did you do, traitor?"

"I didn't do anything!" Scorpius said, stepping back, and away from the intimidating figure glaring at him.

"For Merlin's sake, Nott, get a grip." Zabini drawled, rolling his eyes at Nott, who stopped in his tracks. "It wasn't him; Hagrid was onto us and found a live one."

"Yeah!" Scorpius said, a little louder than he meant to. "He just led us to this clearing, where there was a House Elf. It didn't know who'd taken it though, and they've got no evidence so I  
reckon you're- we're in the clear so far. If I were you I'd give it a rest for a while, and start it up again just a few weeks before the Ball, when they've dropped their guard. The spiders are smart – they'll remember from before." He finished, rather breathlessly. He seemed to have done a good job of convincing them, because the Slytherins all nodded in approval.

"I think you might be right, Malfoy. Teachers are going to be on their guard for the next few weeks, but we don't want to risk not getting Potter."

Scorpius breathed a sigh of relief as the Slytherins turned to each other, the anger fading from their faces. Then he had a sudden thought,

"Oh! By the way, that rope you used... what _was _that?"

"Oh, that." Goyle said, looking pleased with himself, "Got it from my Dad, he used to use it in his seventh year to tie up kids in detention. That very rope was used on Longbottom, apparently he cried like a baby..." The Slytherins chuckled and Scorpius felt anger rising in him as he forced a harsh laugh to his throat. Gathering all his courage and hoping they wouldn't get too suspicious, Scorpius asked again,

"But how do you tie them up without burning your hands?"

"Why do you want to know, Malfoy?" Demanded Goyle, his face screwing up in suspicion. Scorpius attempted to remain nonchalant, shrugging his shoulders in an offhand way,

"Just interested, you know us Ravenclaws." He grinned, and Zabini laughed lightly.

"Don't get your wand in a knot, Goyle. Our Ravenclaw friend is curious about the rope. You see, it carries a curse that burns whatever part of you it touches as, it seems, our Little Potter found out on Saturday night. It's devastatingly simple, really – all you have to do it wet your hands before you touch it – the water forms a short of shield against the curse."

"Interesting," Scorpius muttered, "it makes sense, I suppose. Water and fire are opposite elements after all."

"Yes, I thought it a rather good idea. Now I think we should make our way out to supper before we're missed. Wait a few minutes before you come out, it'll look less suspicious. We'll be in touch." With that they left Scorpius, breathing heavily, alone in the silent classroom. He was safe, for now. After a few minutes he peeked around the door and, having ascertained that the  
Entrance Hall was deserted, stole out of the room.

The next couple of weeks passed in a whirl of work for the sixth years, and when Scorpius finally collapsed into one of the deep purple armchairs in the Ravenclaw common room he barely registered the excited atmosphere filling the corridor. It was only when Connor slumped down next to him and said,

"To Hell with Victis and his essay. I've got a Quidditch match to win." He groaned as he sank into the sumptuous cushions of the chair.

"Is that tomorrow?" Scorpius asked; he'd been hoping to go to the library the next day, and though he now knew he would be completely undisturbed he realised that it would be impossible to make his excuses without hurting Connor's feelings. Where had the time gone? Scorpius attempted to count the days in his head as Connor shot him a withering look.

"Where have you been living the past two weeks? Yes, it's out first match tomorrow against Gryffindor. Do you reckon Vicits'll let me off?"

"Not a chance, mate." Scorpius replied, and Connor's face fell. "He'll expect you to do it mid-flight with a bat in your hand."

"Damn." Connor muttered, "That'll be a detention for me, then."

"You can copy mine if you want." Scorpius offered, "I did it last night when you were at practice."

Connor shook his head dejectedly,

"Nah – Victis can spot a copy a mile off. I don't want to get you into any more trouble. I'm going to bed." He muttered as he hauled himself out of the armchair and headed towards the dormitory.

"At eight thirty?" Scorpius called after him, a grin on his face.

"Perfectly reasonable time to go to bed." Conner grumbled, but there was a slight smile on his face as he climbed the stairs to the dormitory.

Scorpius sat alone by the fireplace for a while, listening to the ticking of the clock and worrying about homework, and Quidditch, and Lily... especially Lily. Eventually, he forced himself to stand up and go to the library, because it was the only place he could think to go. There were only a couple of books on the Fidelius Charm, and he'd looked through both of them. The library was telling him that there was only one form of the Charm, but the cold feeling that haunted him whenever he got close to telling anyone of the Slytherins' plan told him otherwise.  
He thought about trying the Defence Against the Dark Arts section as he trudged towards the library, but the range was so vast that he wouldn't even know where to begin. Then it struck him – The Restricted Section! He bolted through the doors of the library, causing Madam Pince to hiss angrily at him.

He was steps away when he realised that he was going to need a note for this. Only Prefects were allowed to pass in and out freely, and even as a sixth year, Scorpius had to play it carefully. Professor Longbottom, he knew, would give him a note if he requested one but he was likely to ask too many questions and Scorpius hated lying to the Professor who was almost a friend. There was no chance Professor Victis would let him, and Binns wasn't even able to hold a pen. It seemed he was going to have to ask Professor Jordan who, though incredibly cool as a teacher, was likely to ask almost as many questions as The Herbology Professor. It was too late to ask now, and no doubt he'd be out cheering Gryffindor on at Quidditch the next day, but Scorpius had DADA on Monday – giving him time to think of a suitable excuse for why he wanted a note enabling him to peruse Dark books in his free time. When he got back to the Common Room he realised his eyelids were drooping and made his way up the stairs to bed only half an hour after Connor, who was snoring softly behind the purple curtains of his bed.  
Scorpius buried himself under the covers and fell asleep immediately.

When he awoke it was to the sound of cheering, and he sat bolt upright in bed. Glancing at the clock on his bedside, he realised that he had already missed the first ten minutes of the game. He sprang out of bed and pulled on his jeans, wrestling a t-shirt over his head as he skidded into the Common Room which was, thankfully, deserted. He sprinted down to the Quidditch pitch and raced up the steps to the stand where the other Ravenclaws cheered on their team. He spotted Lysander gazing dreamily at the players.

"What's the score?" Scorpius asked as he squeezed through the crowd to stand by Lysander.

"I'm not quite sure." Lysander replied, frowning, "But I think Connor has a Wrackspurt near him, he keeps trying to beat it away with that bat of his."

Scorpius sighed,  
"No, that'll be the Bludgers, Lysander."

With that, the stadium erupted, and Scorpius looked up to see Annie high fiving another Gryffindor Chaser, he was wondering what her name was when he heard the voice of the commentator, seventh year Louis Weasley, booming out across the stadium,

"And that's a goal from Esme Cootes of Gryffindor, making the scores tied at thirty-thirty."

From high above the stands a flash of gold caught Lily's eye, but it was only Scorpius as he battled through the crowds. She heard a whooshing sound just to her left and swerved just in time to avoid the Bludger that went whizzing past her ear, closely followed by Hugo, who yelled,

"I've got him!" As he flew past her.

Lily shook her head with a smile and set about looking for the Snitch again, glancing across to her fellow Seeker, Lisa Corner, who was hovering around the bottom of the Ravenclaw goalposts. Lily thought it strange - most Seekers found it easier to watch for the Snitch from high up, but Lisa always stayed low. To her credit, Ravenclaw often won thanks to Lisa's Seeking skill, but rarely against Gryffindor. With Harry Potter, the youngest Seeker in a century, and Ginny Weasley, Seeker for the Holyhead Harpies, as parents it was difficult for Lily to resist the pull of flying. Now as the wind rushed through her hair amongst the chaos of the game, she felt at home.

Suddenly, out of the corner of her eye, she saw it. The Snitch was hovering just under the middle hoop of the Ravenclaw goalposts. With Lisa still poised beneath them, if Lily made a dash for it now then Lisa would surely get there first, so she had to be sneaky. She made a vague move in the direction of the goalposts, appearing to scan the stadium whilst trying to keep both the Snitch and the Ravenclaw Seeker in view. It was working, and having glanced to Lily once, Lisa went back to looking to the Gryffindor goalposts. Lily's heart was in her mouth, she was just close enough to make a dash for it and was preparing herself when Annie rushed past her, Quaffle in hand, and threw it through the Ravenclaw goal.

"And that makes it forty-thirty to Gryffindor!" She heard Louis boom from the commentator's podium.

She quickly turned her eyes back to where the Snitch had been, but it had gone. With a sigh, she turned her broom around and set off towards the other end of the pitch, rolling on her broom in mid air as Connor hit a well aimed Bludger at her.

"Nice try, Berkley!" She yelled across the pitch, and Connor grinned. Then she saw it, hovering just above Connor - the Snitch was back in her sights.

"It seems the Gryffindor Seeker is none to happy at having a Bludger aimed at her. I'd get out of the way is I were you, Berkley." She heard Louis say as she charged across the pitch towards Connor, who swerved out of the way just in time, terrified expression on his face as Lily hurtled past him, catching the still frantically flapping Snitch in her hand.

When the crowd realised what had happened the Gryffindors in the stands erupted, and Lily found herself engulfed by her team-mates as Louis yelled,

"With a grand total of one hundred and ninety points, Gryffindor wins! What a cracking start to this season's matches - well done Gryffindor!"

As soon as the team landed, dizzy with victory, Lily felt herself being lifted into the air as her cousin pulled her into a bear hug.

"Hugo... can't...breathe!" She choked, and Hugo released her, grinning broadly.

"Can't believe it!" He yelled over the noise of the crowd, "I thought you'd lost it for a second there!"

Lily laughed,  
"Me? Lose it?" She exclaimed, faking affront. "Only with McLaggen." She added in an undertone, and Hugo laughed.

"Changing rooms, everyone!" McLaggen shouted, gesturing emphatically towards the small building.

"Speak of the Devil." Hugo said, rolling his eyes as they followed their team off the pitch.

"That was a decent game, everyone." McLaggen said as they started getting out of their Quidditch robes, "But it could have been a lot better - a few more goals in the hoops and we could've got a two hundred point victory margin - we need all the points we can get if we want to win the Tournament this year. Now Hugo and Ben..."

Lily switched off as McLaggen began to berate the Beaters, pulling her t-shirt on absent mindedly. When McLaggen finally turned to her ("Try to leave catching the Snitch longer next time - it'll give us a chance to get more goals.") she merely nodded and wandered out of the changing rooms, where she bumped into none other than Scorpius Malfoy.

"This is getting ridiculous." He said, as he caught her before she fell to the ground.

"Sorry." She muttered, as her heart gave a strange flutter at his touch. She cursed herself inwardly.

"Nice catch - Connor though you were going to kill him." Scorpius laughed, as they walked across the grounds towards the school.

"Thanks, where is Connor anyway? Aren't you two usually attached at the hip?"

"I just went to visit him in the changing rooms - I think he's going to attempt suicide." He rolled his eyes, "Quidditch players - do you all have tendencies towards the dramatic?"

Lily pretended to think about it for a second before replying cheerfully,

"Yep. Annie's dreadful, Hugo's even worse and McLaggen... well he's in a league of his own! We won the match and he's still not happy!"

"Why am I not surprised?" Scorpius asked, and suddenly realised how dark it had become during the course of the match. "Wow - it's really dark."

Lily looked over and raised one eyebrow, before beginning to clap very slowly, every action laden with sarcasm. Scorpius blushed.

"Yeah, alright, thanks for that. I know I'm a bit stupid sometimes."

Lily didn't reply but continued to clap, an infuriating grin on her face.

"You'd better stop that." Scorpius warned, attempting to summon some semblance of austerity to his face. Lily only grinned back at him as she continued her mocking applause.

"Then you leave me with no choice." Scorpius said, and before Lily could react he had scooped her onto his shoulder and began to walk back to the castle with her pounding her fists ineffectually on his back.

"Put me down, Malfoy." She yelled, and he chuckled.

"Ooh, I'm in trouble now - you're using my surname!" He said as he carried her towards the castle. When they reached the huge oak doors Scorpius dropped her unceremoniously and stood watching her get her balance with a smug smirk on his face.

"You know, you look an awful lot like your Father when you do that." Lily muttered as she smoothed out her clothes. Scorpius stopped smiling abruptly, but as his eyes met Lily's again, he couldn't help but laugh.

"Don't _ever_ do that to me again." Lily ordered through her giggles.

"Well then you're going to have to learn to be nice to me." He said, and she bit her lip. Scorpius wished he didn't find it so adorable.

"I'll try." She replied finally, "Although you're going to have to stop being such a dunce."

"I'll try." He smiled.

There was a moment of silence when brown eyes met blue, and neither Scorpius nor Lily could remember what they were going to say.

"So," Scorpius said finally, breaking the silence, "You heading back to your Common Room?"

"Yeah." She replied quickly, glad for an excuse to speak again, "There's probably going to be a party, well, there _is _going to be a party if I know Hugo."

Scorpius chuckled weakly,

"Right. I suppose I'm going to spend the evening persuading Connor not to jump from the Astronomy Tower."

Silence descended again as the pair thought of what they had been told in the kitchens.

"Poor Dibsy." Lily whispered, "We've got to do something."

"I know." Scorpius replied, and every part of him ached to tell her everything, but even as the thought crossed his mind a cold shiver passed through his body, and he remained silent.

"This might sound stupid, but I have this weird feeling it was the Slytherins." Lily said suddenly, and Scorpius could have danced for joy.

"Well, it seems logical." He answered, attempting to remain calm, "Who else do we know that sadistic?"

"They can't be doing it just for fun, though." She continued, "The risks are just too high. They've got to be up to something more serious."

He could have kissed her, but promptly blushed at the thought, and was glad of the darkness.

"Yeah, not even the Slytherins would murder House Elves just for the kick, there's got to be something more." He agreed.

"Look who it is!" Came a booming voice that made both Lily and Scorpius jump. Annie and Connor emerged from the darkness, and Connor was pointing accusingly at Lily.

"It's the girl who nearly murdered me."

"You were in the way." She countered, affronted, "Besides, no harm done."

"_No harm done?" _Connor repeated, "Our first match of the season and we lost!"

"Get used to it." Lily said, her eyes flashing mischievously.

"Now, now you two, play nicely." Annie said, placing a hand on Connor's arm. He smiled at her and said dejectedly,

"I suppose you've got a party to go to."

"Sorry." She said, "If it makes you feel better I wish you could come too."

Scorpius and Lily rolled their eyes at each other as Connor thanked Annie enthusiastically. Eventually they broke apart and Lily gestured up the stairs,

"If you are quite ready, Miss Finnegan, we have festivities to attend."

"We do indeed." Annie replied with a smile. "See you tomorrow, boys."

"See you." They replied as the pairs went their separate ways to their Common Rooms.

When Lily and Annie finally clambered through the portrait hole they were met with raucous applause as the whole House congratulated them. Hugo had managed to steal copious amounts of food from the kitchens and everyone was elated at Gryffindor's victory, but Lily couldn't share in their excitement. She couldn't help thinking about the House Elves, and about Scorpius. Eventually, she climbed the stone steps to her dormitory early and, to her astonishment, fell straight to sleep.

**_A/N - I know, I know, I've been cranking up the sexual tension somewhat in the past few chapters - so sorry if you're getting irritated by lack of action... I am too! Thanks to all the lovely people who reviewed my last chapter - some more on this one would be nice :) _**


	11. The Restricted Section

**_Disclaimer - Our lovely Ms Rowling owns Harry Potter (and she's not me!) _**

_**A/N - I would like to begin this chapter with an enormous I AM SORRY FOR BEING A CRAP UPDATER! I've had my GCSEs (That's REALLY BIG EXAMS for those of you who aren't from the UK) For the past few weeks and as such have had zilch time for writing.. so sorry about that. But here's my next - sorry it's a bit short but I realised that if I'd put in everything I intended it would have been too long! Please enjoy... finally...**_

Scorpius drummed his fingers on the desk as he waited anxiously for the lesson to come to an end. It had been an interesting one – Professor Jordan was covering the first of the Unforgivable Curses – but whilst the rest of the class giggled as Hamish Thomas did pirouettes around the classroom, Scorpius was impatient for the close of the lesson.

With the Yule Ball drawing closer every day he needed to talk to Professor Jordan about visiting the Restricted Section of the Library. For the past three weeks, every time he'd attempted to ask the Professor for a note he'd been met with a hurried,  
"Sorry, Scorpius, I'm very busy, ask me at the end of our next lesson."

This time, however, Scorpius was determined not to let the Professor get away from him. When, finally, Jordan dismissed the class, Scorpius strode up to the teacher's desk and said firmly,

"Professor, I want to ask you something, please. It's important."

To his surprise, Professor Jordan looked up at him angrily and almost shouted,

"Look Malfoy, I am fed up with this."

He glanced around furtively before lowering his voice and whispering, in a harsh tone,

"I don't know what you've seen, or where you saw it, or how you managed to see it, but I am not going to co-operate with blackmail. Do you understand?"

Scorpius was dumbfounded. He opened his mouth and closed it again, like a fish, before eventually stuttering,

"I didn't see anything, sir. I only wanted to ask if you could give me a note for access to the Restricted Section..." He tailed off and the disgruntled Professor, upon realising his honesty, took on a horrified expression.

"Oh... Well...I... Look, Malfoy – I'll give you your note, and we'll say no more about this, agreed?"

Scorpius nodded his head and muttered,

"Agreed."

He watched Professor Jordan write a permission note on a scrap of parchment with a shaking hand. He took the note with muttered thanks and dashed from the classroom as fast as his legs would take him. Once out of the classroom he attempted to put the incident with Jordan out of his head as he headed to the Library. His stomach rumbled audibly but he disregarded it, desperate to find some clue as to what spell had him in its grip.

He hurtled into the almost deserted Library and thrust his note at a started Madam Pince.

"What in Merlin's name are you doing, Mr Malfoy?"

"Have...note...Restricted...Section..." He managed to gasp, and after a few seconds she took his note from him and read it, finally giving a grudging nod and led him through the rows of books towards the enclosed area where books unfit to be placed in the public school Library were kept. Madam Pince took from her pocket a strangely shaped key, it was made of what looked like wood, and when she inserted the star shaped instrument into a hole in the door it glowed before the door swung open to admit him.

To his surprise and dismay, there was someone in there already and the mane of curly red hair made him sure who sat with her head buried in a black leather-bound book before she even raised her head. Rose Weasley smiled up at him, pleasantly surprised, and exclaimed,

"Hi Scorpius!" Her dark brown eyes (much darker than Lily's, Scorpius found himself noting) were welcoming as Madam Pince closed the door behind them.

"Hey, Rose." He smiled, attempting to look pleased to see her. In any other situation it would have been genuine – it was hard not to like Rose Weasley – but this was dangerous.

He wondered how long he was going to have to procrastinate before he could get down to business, and ventured a question,

"So what's a respectable girl like you doing in a Library like this?" He asked with a grin, and she giggled.

"Researching poisons and their cures. I want to be a Healer, so I'm doing so extra research on the sorts of maladies I'd like to work with. It sounds strange, but when my parents told me the story of their school years there was one story that really stuck in my mind. It was when my Dad drank some poisoned mead that had passed right under Slughorn's nose. If Harry hadn't been there he would have died. I just decided that was what I wanted to do."

"Wow." Scorpius said, nodding his head appreciatively. "Your dedication frightens me. Why aren't you in Ravenclaw?"

"Everyone asks me that." Rose smiled, rolling her eyes slightly – the gesture again reminded him of Lily, and Scorpius shook his head in consternation. "Apparently they used to ask my Mum too. That Hat did think about it, but in the end I suppose my Gryffindor qualities won out. Anyway, just because someone isn't in Ravenclaw doesn't mean they aren't smart."

"Definitely." Scorpius agreed, "And just because someone's in Ravenclaw doesn't mean they can't be really thick sometimes."

Rose nodded with a smile before asking,

"So what brings you into the deepest, darkest corner of the Library?"

Oh no. This was the moment Scorpius had been dreading. On one hand, Rose might be able to help with his search for the book; on the other, he didn't want to be found out yet since he had no idea how the curse might punish him if the plan got out. With only a split second to decide, Scorpius took a risk.

"I'm trying to find a book on some darker forms of the Fidelius Charm." He explained, and Rose's eyebrows knitted together curiously.

"What subject is that for?"

"Oh, it's not class work. I just came across a reference to them in a book and was curious – I've looked through all the other books on the Charm but they don't mention it." He replied hurriedly, and was sure he felt a chill go through his body as he said it.

"Oh." Rose said, seemingly aware of his discomfort. "I don't think I've come across anything about the Fidelius Charm - although I did see something..." She trailed off as she approached the bookcase and ran her fingers along the spines, exclaiming "Aha!" as she plucked a dusty, red tome from its shelf. She handed it to Scorpius,

"Page two hundred and fourteen." She smiled, "Hope it helps."

Scorpius flicked through the pages before sitting down next to her with a murmured,

"Thanks."

"No problem." She grinned, before returning to her own book.

Eventually, Scorpius found page two hundred and fourteen and proceeded to read,

_Little is known about how Emerick the Evil managed to keeps his deeds a secret from the Wizarding World but the written confession of one of his agents may tell us a little more about how he kept so many silent,_

_Shortly after we had sworne ourselves, Emerick did hold a meeting for all his helpers. Upon entering, we made ourselves a circle and, one by one, Emerick did marke us with Curse most Potente. He did so by touching his Wande to our arms individually, and 'twere as though our very bones had been frozen by ice. Emerick told us that should we break our bonde of secrecy, that our very bloode would be froze and we would ne'er breathe a word again. Surely, as one of our number was a spye for the enemy he did speak of our plans to them as I looked on (Emerick did suspecte that he had turned his coate) and I did see his eyes bulge in their sockets and his face blacken with colde before he fell deade on the floor before them, unable to utter a worde more about the plote. Only now am I able to speake of these events because they are finished - for though the Curse was a powerful one, it muste come to an end with the events it warns 'gainst speaking of. For as Emerick did enter the palace of Uric, through our secret tunnel, I did feel the warmth flowe back into me and now I may write these lines without feare of freezing - for Emerick's Curse hath left my bode."_

Scorpius stared at the page for over ten minutes before he fully began to process what this meant. On the one hand, he was ecstatic that he'd finally found _something _that was useful to him, but still furious that there appeared to be no way out of the Curse until the Slytherins' plan had been put into action. The question now was whether the plan ended with Lily being left for the spiders, or with her death. If it was the latter, then there was no way for Scorpius to help her unless he did it himself - slip away and go back to the Forest to save her. He knew the secrets of the rope, after all, so he'd be able to get her free. Still, it was not a plan he wanted to have to resort to.

He looked over at Rose, her fiery hair separating them like a curtain, nose still buried in her book. He wished he could just tell her now of the danger her cousin was in and his part in the Slytherins' plans - but this was impossible. Now he knew the Slytherins weren't bluffing with this he was taking no chances. He read the rest of the chapter, but nothing further was said about the Curse used by Emerick, so Scorpius was going to have to hope beyond hope that once the Slytherins had Lily he would be able to raise the alarm. He prayed that there would be enough time to save her, or he'd never forgive himself. He jumped a little as Rose asked,

"Found what you were looking for?"

"Err, yeah." He spluttered, "Exactly what I was looking for - thanks."

"Are you okay?" Rose asked, frowning slightly at Scorpius's obvious discomfort.

"Yeah, yeah." He replied, putting the book hastily back in its place before heading for the door. "Thanks for your help - good luck with the research!"

"No problem, see you." Rose called after him, and he could hear the suspicion in her voice as the door of the Restricted Section closed behind him. He let out a long, calming breath before heading out of the Library and towards the Great Hall where lunch was hopefully still being served. His stomach was rumbling more than ever but when he sat down next to Connor at the Ravenclaw table and looked at the piles of food in front of him his appetite dissipated immediately. Now he felt sick, and Connor wasn't helping,

"Where've you been? I looked for you everywhere... well, I was pretty hungry so it was just the Common Room really. Are you alright? You look a bit pale..."

"I'm fine!" Scorpius said, louder than he meant to. He pulled a few sandwiches onto his plate and began to eat, not bothering to see what was in them. Despite his sick feeling, the sandwiches helped, and soon Connor's suspicion was all but gone as a little colour returned to Scorpius's deathly pale cheeks.

"All you needed was a bit of food." He said brightly, "You did look awful, mate. I thought someone'd died."

_They still could. _Scorpius thought bitterly, looking over at the Gryffindor table where Lily was laughing at something Hugo had said. He forced these thoughts out of his mind, though and nodded to Connor, who look placated.

Scorpius's mind was still spinning when they reached the Common Room and saw a notice pinned to the board.

"Hogsmeade next weekend!" Connor exclaimed, giving Scorpius a hearty punch on the shoulder. "That ought to cheer you up. We'll have to get dress robes for the Ball."

"That isn't for ages yet." Scorpius argued - he didn't want to think about what would happen that night.

"It's in two weeks, Scorpius." Connor said slowly, "Or have you been living under a rock?"

"Two weeks?" Scorpius exclaimed, "Bloody Hell. Where's the term gone?"

"I think you spent it in the Library." Conner replied with a smirk. "Now it's time for you to have some fun - now I know that's a foreign concept for you, but try."

"Bloody Hell." Scorpius repeated softly, and Connor looked confused.

"What's so bad about it?" He asked, as the little colour drained from Scorpius's face.

"I have to get a date." Scorpius replied, saying the first thing that popped into his head. He'd expected disbelief from Connor but, to his surprise, when he looked up his best friend was smiling widely.

"I really don't think that's going to be a problem." Connor said, shaking his head slowly. "Although it'll be interesting to see some of the teachers' faces when Malfoy takes Potter to the Ball..."

Scorpius didn't reply, but rolled his eyes at Connor, who smirked. If only he could just take Lily Potter to the Ball, if he could dance with her, see her smile. Instead he would walk into that Hall in two weeks with her death hanging over him. Even if he saved her - she'd never speak to him again. He was a traitor, worse than an outright enemy; she'd trusted him and he was going to betray her, like the coward he was. That night as Connor snored in the bed beside him, Scorpius stared at the canopy of his four-poster bed and dreaded the coming Ball. Half formed plans drifted through his mind and were discarded before they were fully formed for being too risky, too dangerous. When, finally, he slept his dreams were once more in the Forest and he awoke to the sounds of Lily's screams ringing in his ears.

_**A/N - I know I don't deserve it, I have been a bad updater, but reviews would be nice. Many thanks to everyone who had reviewed so far - your comments have been wonderful! **_


	12. A Visit to Hogsmeade

**_Disclaimer - Don't own Harry Potter :(_**

_**A/N - Right, this is only a little one because I'm leaving for the Arcitc Circle tomorrow and I just wanted to give you something before I go. Unfortunately, this also means I won't be able to update for 3 weeks. I am very sorry you are going to have to wait a little longer for Lily and Scorpius, but when we remember we had to wait ten years for Ron and Hermione to FINALLY get together, I am sure this puts things in perspective. **_

The excitement in the air was palpable as the Yule Ball drew ever nearer. Hogsmeade bustled with students getting last minute items for their outfits and Christmas presents for their friends and families. There was a gentle dusting of frost on the ground as Lily, Annie and the Creevey twins trudged through the grounds towards the village. Hugo had wanted to accompany them, but an incident involving Professor Slughorn's supply closet and a rather large amount of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes fireworks meant Hugo had not been allowed down to Hogsmeade that weekend, because he was busy cleaning up the mess he had made.

Lily shivered, even through her thick jumper (one she had stolen from her father before she left, knitted by her grandmother while he was still at school and decorated with a Hungarian Horntail) when the Slytherins walked past. Instead of jeering at her or insulting her as they usually did, they merely smiled at her – it unnerved her. The others seemed not to notice, so she kept quiet, not wanting to spoil their festive mood with her worries.

"Do you think I he'll ask me?" Ella whispered as they watched Francis McLaggen and his cronies walk into the Three Broomsticks.

"I heard he already asked Tessa Peakes." Bella muttered, and Ella looked flabbergasted.

"But she's only in third year!" She exclaimed, and Annie shook her head.

"McLaggen would never do that. Besides, it's obvious he fancies you." She said to Ella, who looked placated.

"What do you think, Lily?" Ella asked, jerking Lily back to reality.

"What?" She said, and Ella rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"About Francis! Do you think he'll ask me?"

"Oh. Yeah, probably – he's always looking at you in the Common Room and he can't really be that bad at Charms can he? It's just an excuse to talk to you."

"That's what I thought!" Ella agreed enthusiastically. She had a new spring in her step as they made their way towards the Hogsmeade branch of Madam Malkins that had recently  
opened. Annie smiled at Lily in thanks as they entered the shop.

"Oh no!" The twins cried in dismay to see that the shop was packed.

"What are you two complaining about? I don't even have a dress." Lily muttered, and the other girls turned to her in shock.

"You don't have a dress?" Annie repeated, disbelieving.

"No, Mum and I ran out of time in Diagon Alley because Al managed to knock over a display in Flourish and Blotts."

"Right, that's it." Annie said, taking Lily's hand and pulling her through the crowds. "Make way! Make way!" She shouted, "Girl without a dress coming through!" The sea of people seemed  
to part, revealing the rather harassed looking saleswoman.

"Excuse me, Madam, but my friend doesn't have a dress."

The look on the saleswoman's face suggested that Annie had just told her Lily was actually the reincarnation of Voldemort come back to kill them all.

"No dress? This way, my dear, this way." Lily and Annie found themselves being ushered through the cloth at the back of the shop and into a huge room filled with dresses.

"We put the dresses at the back when the Yule Ball comes up – most people just want trinkets and shoes. I've got to see to the hoards, so have a look around and I'll be back in a minute."

For a second, Lily and Annie just stood staring at the finery around them before lily said quietly,

"How do I choose?"

"Well, we've got to start somewhere. You take one side, and I'll take the other." Annie decided, and for ten minutes the girls rifled through the silks and satins, occasionally picking one out, holding it against Lily and discarding it.

When the saleswoman returned they were no closer to finding a dress for Lily, so when she asked,

"Is everything alright in here?" Lily couldn't help exclaiming,

"I have no idea what to pick!"

The saleswoman nodded understandingly and said,

"Well, blue and green always look nice with red hair – what house is your date in?"

Before Lily could answer and tell the woman that she didn't have a date Annie said,

"Ravenclaw."

"What?" Lily yelled, and Annie smirked.

"You know he's going to ask you, and you know you're going to say yes. Stop trying to deny it."

Lily opened and closed her mouth a few times like a fish before the saleswoman said,

"Ravenclaw, right. You're Gryffindor girls?"

Lily and Annie nodded in agreement, and the saleswoman smiled.

"I think I've got just the thing."

She disappeared into the sea of fabrics and eventually emerged grasping something made of deep plum purple velvet. She led them to the changing rooms where Lily looked at it sceptically before slipping the heavy garment over her head.

It took her a while to lace up the silver ribbons at the front of the gown, but when she stepped out of the changing room Annie gasped dramatically.

"You are such a drama queen." Lily said, with an eye roll, but Annie insisted,

"Just look in the mirror."

Lily turned to the full length mirror that ran down the wall of the room and couldn't stop her hands from flying to her face. Her tiny frame was elongated by the deep purple velvet that fell to the floor. The corseted upper piece accentuated her small waist and the gathered fabric at the top of the skirt made her slim hips look fuller. The deep colour of the dress made her pale skin glow and the red of her hair seemed to shine against the darker material.

"I think I want this one." She whispered. Usually it took her forever to decide on anything, but this time she was certain. There was no point looking at other dresses – this one was  
perfect.

Annie nodded in agreement and voiced Lily's thoughts,

"It's like it was made for you." She said, and Lily nodded.

"We'd better go and pay for it then." Annie grinned, and Lily went back into the cubicle to get changed.

When the two girls approached the counter the saleswoman smiled at them.

"Good choice." She said, "That'll be seventy five galleons, please."

Lily paid the woman with the money her mother had given her for the purpose, although she had to take a little from her own funds, since the dress was expensive.

Just as the saleswoman was about to put the dress into a bag for Lily she turned suddenly and grabbed something from behind the counter.

"You can have these for free." She said, as she put the mystery items into the bag with the dress. "If I were you, I'd wear my hair down, and curls are very fashionable this winter."

"Thank you." Lily smiled as she took the bag from the woman and exited the shop, where Ella and Bella were waiting for her and Annie.

Lily was buzzing as she walked through the busy streets, and barely noticed when she bumped into a broad shouldered figure.

"Oh, sorry." She said, looking up to see Cormac McLaggen scowling down at her.

"Oh, hello Potter." He replied, looking somewhat dazed.

"Hi." She muttered, and went to carry on towards the Three Broomsticks but he put out a hand to stop her.

"Wait, Potter... Lily." She started at his use of her first name and stopped.

"Yes?"

"Look, I can't help noticing that you've been acting rather oddly around me recently." He started, and Lilt wondered where he was going with this, and why he cared. After all, she hadn't been any more or less hostile than she normally was with him. It was common knowledge the pair didn't get on.

"Err, have I?" She asked, and he nodded.

"Yes, you have, and I think I might know why. The thing is, I know you're only a fourth year but you are... well... quite an attractive one and I couldn't help wondering whether maybe you'd like for me to ask you to the Ball."

It took Lily a while to process this information and for a few seconds she simply stared at him before asking,

"Would _you _like to take me to the Ball?"

"I know inter-team relationships aren't advised but I think we're both grown up enough to deal with it. So yes, Lily, I would like to ask you to the Ball." He stated finally, puffing out his chest a little and Lily had to bite back a laugh, before realising that she was going to have to say something.

"Err, that's very nice of you McLag... Cormac, but I'm afraid I can't accept." She said, and his face fell.

"Why not?" He asked, disgruntled, and Lily knew she had to improvise. "Because you're a conceited git" didn't really fit the bill at that moment, so the words that found themselves being ripped from her mouth were,

"Because I'm already going with someone."

She regretted it immediately, hoping beyond hope that McLaggen wouldn't pry further, but she knew that was optimistic at best. However, when McLaggen asked,

"Who?" Lily still had no idea what to do.

Then she saw a familiar blonde head coming through the crowd and, without thinking twice said,

"Scorpius." Louder than she'd expected, and her heart was pounding as Scorpius turned to look at her and began to make his way towards them.

"What?" McLaggen shouted, making Lily jump.

"Yeah, he asked me last week, didn't you Scorpius?" She said, giving him a significant look that told him not to argue.

"Yeah, yeah." He agreed, nodding enthusiastically.

McLaggen gave him an irate stare and opened his mouth as if to say something, but thought better of it and stormed off through the crowds.

"What was that about?" Scorpius asked as soon as McLaggen was out of earshot.

"It appears you're taking me to the Ball." She muttered, "Sorry, I mean, were you planning on asking anyone or anything?"

"Oh, no, no." He spluttered, "Don't worry – I am happy to save you from McLaggen if you, err, don't mind having to go with me."

"Oh no, I don't mind... You're the only decent bloke around anyway..."

Annie, Ella and Bella exchanged conspiratorial glances as Lily and Scorpius smiled awkwardly at each other.

"So, do you want to go to the Three Broomsticks? I was going to meet Connor there anyway..." Scorpius asked, and Lily nodded mutely.

The girls followed Scorpius through the cobbled streets towards the cost pub, and as a brisk wind whirled through the village Lily shivered.

"It's freezing." She murmured, and Annie smirked,

"I'm sure Scorpius would oblige." She whispered, and Lily rolled her eyes.

"You have a sick mind, Finnegan."

Annie only laughed and slipped her arm into the crook of Lily's elbow. Connor was waiting for them in the Three Broomsticks and conversation flowed easily for the rest of the day, until the sky outside darkened and they realised it was time to return to school. When Lily got back to her dormitory and looked out of her window she gasped.

"It's snowing!" She breathed, and sure enough, delicate flakes of whiteness were pouring from the grey sky onto the frozen grounds below.

_**A/N - are you going to **_**_leave me lots of lovely reviews to return to? I hope so! _**


	13. The Yule Ball

**_A/N - Look who's back! Did you miss me? You did, didn't you? Well here's the latest from Lily and Scorpius - hope you enjoy it! The Yule Ball is finally upon us!  
_**

**_Disclaimer: I didn't find the rights to Harry Potter in the Arctic, unfortunately...  
_**

As the Gryffindor fourth years trudged through the snow from the greenhouses, Ella grumbled.

"My nose if going all red, and my lips are so chapped – I'm going to look awful tonight."

"You'll be fine." Annie reassured her, "I've got some of Miss Mollie's Kissable Lips Serum back in the dormitory – you can use that."

"Thanks." Ella muttered as the girls entered the castle and shook the snow from their cloaks. It had been snowing solidly for almost a week, and once the initial excitement had worn off – the snow became nothing more than a nuisance.

The first weekend had been undeniably brilliant, with snowballs whizzing through the air left, right and centre. Lily chuckled as she remembered a particularly amusing incident when the girls had been ambushed by Hugo and Ben, wielding snowballs the size of pumpkins. The four girls had fought the two boys for half an hour before Hugo and Ben were forced to surrender to the incredible accuracy with which Annie could throw a snowball, Lily's quick dodges, Bella's ability to appear invisible and Ella's loud screams as the snowballs landed in her hair.

She smiled a little as she recalled watching Hugo pick a stray twig out of Bella's hair – he had asked her to the Ball later that day, as the Gryffindors sat warming themselves by the fire in the Common Room. Lily was glad the pair liked each other, Hugo had a habit of falling for girls who had little or no consideration for his welfare - Bella was sweet and quiet and Lily suspected her friend had been somewhat in love with her cousin for some time.

Now the day had arrived, and the whole castle was buzzing with excitement. The Great Hall had been out of bounds since breakfast so the teachers could decorate it, and as the last lesson of the day drew to a close, students rushed from their lessons back to their dormitories to prepare for the coming evening. Lily tried not to get too excited as they climbed the many flights of stairs to the Gryffindor Common Room, but it was infectious. This was going to be her first Yule Ball, and no matter how much she pretended she didn't care, she had been looking forward to it ever since she and Annie had snuck down from the dormitories in second year to see the older students dancing. Now, as she thought of putting on her velvet dress, she could not help smiling to herself.

When the girls reached the dormitory the frenzy began. Hair was put into rollers and elaborate charms were cast to keep them in place. Only when hair, skin, eyes and lips had all been pampered and made up were the dresses finally put on. The Creevey twins gasped when they saw Lily, and Annie smiled with satisfaction. Her own gold dress brought out the reddish hints in her blonde hair and made it look like spun gold. Ella and Bella wore matching black and white dresses for the occasion, and each had an identical excited expression.

"You look incredible, Lily!" Bella breathed, and Lily couldn't help but think she might be right.

"Thanks." She smiled, "But I don't know what to do with my hair."

"Leave it down." The other girls replied immediately, and Lily giggled.

"Alright, alright - down it is." She agreed, and her friends smiled. "I just think it needs something else..."

"Lily!" Annie cried suddenly, "What was in that little bag the saleswoman gave you?"

Lily gave a little gasp – she had completely forgotten about the mysterious package after the incident with McLaggen. She crossed the dormitory as fast as her skirt would allow her and pulled the package out of the bottom of the bag that had held her dress. Lily peeled the tissue paper away to reveal a delicate silver tiara, with a single tiny ruby set in the centre.

"It's beautiful." She breathed, and Annie rushed across to place it amongst Lily's tumbling curls. Lily only had a few seconds so admire herself before Ella squealed,

"It's twenty past eight! We're going to be late!"

In the almost empty Entrance Hall, Scorpius, Connor, Hugo and Francis waited awkwardly.

"How much longer are they going to be?" Scorpius muttered, and Connor shrugged.

"Your guess is as good as mine." He replied, and Hugo chuckled.  
"If I know Lily, then I imagine she's lost her dress."

Connor grinned broadly and said,

"Well then, I don't think Scorpius is complaining."

Scorpius elbowed Connor in the ribs as he and Hugo doubled up with laughter, and even Francis – standing a little apart from the other boys – smiled to himself.

Connor and Hugo were just regaining control of themselves when Annie, Ella and Bella appeared at the top of the stairs. Connor, Hugo and Francis stepped forward, and Annie answered the question in Scorpius's gaze with,  
"Her shoe fell off."

He shook his head with a smile as the other couples went past him, only catching a glimpse of the richly decorated Hall before the others disappeared behind the huge oak doors. He turned from them just in time to see Lily enter the Hall, her usually messy hair falling down her back in gentle curls, and her pale skin glowing against the dark plum gown.

"I... you... wow." He stuttered, unable to produce any more eloquent compliments. Lily smiled, though, and giggled a little.

"Why thank you – it's a little last minute." She admitted, and Scorpius shook his head.

"If it is then you should do everything last minute." He managed, and she laughed again, slipping her arm into his.

"Come on, then – let's see how many heads we turn."

Scorpius managed a weak smile as he led her through the grand oak doors to the Great Hall, which was covered with ice sculptures. Stalactites hung from the branches of the twelve Christmas Trees that stood all around the hall and the whole Hall was lit by tiny points of blue light that Lily presumed were fairies. It was the huge sheet of ice leaning against the far wall, where the teachers usually sat, that drew the attention of all present. It had a slim track going down it, through which flowed a clear, slightly blue liquid. Students and teachers would often go up and fill their glasses from it, Lily noted with curiosity.

Now, however, it was not the decor that had the attention of everyone in the room. As soon as they entered, all eyes flew to Lily and Scorpius. Then, slowly, a whisper began to run through the crowd.

"It's true."

"But he's a Malfoy."

"What's her Dad going to say?"

"What's _his _Dad going to say?"

Scorpius had never been the object of so many stares before, but - for once - he really didn't care. He smiled as he lent down to whisper in Lily's ear,

"That enough heads for you?"

"Just about." She grinned back, as Professor Longbottom threw the pair a wink from his position overseeing the Ball with Professor McGonagall. Lily giggled as Scorpius extended his hand to her and asked,

"Shall we, Miss Potter?"

"Certainly, Mr Malfoy." She replied, taking his hand and letting him lead her onto the dance floor.

"Oh, crap." Lily muttered as the music started up. "I can't dance."

Scorpius couldn't hold back a laugh at the worried look on her face, and the earnest way she bit her lip.

"Well then it's a good thing I can, then." He said, and was rewarded by a look of utter shock spreading over Lily's face. "Why so surprised? You don't belong to a Pureblood legacy unless you can waltz."

Lily was about to reply when the music started up, seeming to swell from behind the ice sheet, and she found herself being pulled across the floor.

"Just follow my feet." Scorpius whispered, and once she found the rhythm, Lily found it almost easy to follow the pattern Scorpius's feet made on the floor.

"See, it's easy." He smiled, and Lily couldn't help smiling back.

"I'm a quick learner."

The bright colours whirled around her as she span with Scorpius across the floor. Time seemed to stand still, and she couldn't have said how many times the music died and rose again, or how long they had danced. Only when Scorpius asked if she wanted a drink did she realise that she was tired already.

"Yes please." She replied breathlessly, and he grinned at her before crossing the room to the glittering ice sheet. He had barely been gone five seconds when Lily was pounced on.

"You two look so adorable together! I don't care what anyone says - you were made for each other." Annie squealed, and Lily rolled her eyes.

"We're only here together because I had to get out of going with McLaggen." She pointed out, but her best friend was not so easily persuaded.

"Don't insult my intelligence, Lily. He would have asked you anyway, and you would have said yes anyway. Speaking of McLaggen, though, he doesn't look happy." She nodded across the room to where Cormac McLaggen was dancing with one of his most silly followers, who smiled idiotically up at him and babbled away as they swayed to the music. McLaggen didn't even look at her, but scowled over at where Lily and Annie stood, both of whom averted their gaze instantly.

"Serves him right, arrogant git." Lily muttered, and Annie couldn't help giggling.

"Lily!" Came another shrill cry, and Lily looked around to see the Creevey twins - dragging Hugo and Francis behind them - coming over.

"I didn't know he could dance!" Gushed Ella, ignoring Francis's muttered, "I can dance."

So overwhelmed was Lily by the attentions of her friends that she didn't notice Scorpius being pulled away from the drinks and into a darkened corner.

"Everything's ready. All you have to do is get her out under Gryffindor Tower, alone." Zabini whispered, with a sly smile. "And judging by how things are going - that shouldn't be hard."

Scorpius felt his heart sink to somewhere around his colon, and managed only a dumb nod.

"We'll create a distraction once we see you leave, and then we'll come and get her. Understand?"

Scorpius nodded again, and Zabini smirked.

"You will do this, won't you, Scorpius? Because if you don't... well, let's just say that we _will _get Lily Potter tonight, no matter how many innocent bystanders there are. Got it?"

"Under Gryffindor Tower. I'll see you there." Scorpius managed finally, and Zabini seemed placated. He slipped away, leaving Scorpius to muse over what was about to happen. It was hard to think that mere minutes ago he had forgotten all about the sinister plot in which he was embroiled as he span around the floor with a beautiful girl in his arms. He glanced over to where Lily stood, surrounded by her friends.

_She really does look beautiful. _He thought, and suddenly he was faced with a horrible image. Lily, lying on the Forest floor, her beautiful dress ripped and muddied, leaves tangled in her hair and her pale porcelain face drained completely of colour in an emotionless death mask. Suddenly Scorpius found himself leaning against the wall for support, unable to face the loud music and bustle of the Ball. It would be easy to slip unnoticed from the busy throng, and he knew it would be easy to get Lily to come with him.

A small part of him, a part that grew in strength with every second, asked why he should follow Zabini's orders. After all, he could have been bluffing.

_He wasn't bluffing about the Fidelius. _He reminded himself, and was sickened by his own cowardice. Now Scorpius was faced with a choice between betraying Lily, and risking the lives of every person in the Hall. It didn't take much deliberation - he was going to have to go through with it and hope beyond hope that he would be able to save her. He picked himself up and went back to where the drinks waited. He picked them up and returned to Lily, who had barely asked him why he'd taken so long, when there was a deafening cracking sound from the ice sheet and a huge crevasse appeared running vertically down the sheet. Screams erupted all around the Hall as the two halves began to part slowly.

Blue smoke began to billow out between the parted sheets and a voice boomed out through the Hall.

"For one night, and one night only - they've had sell out concerts throughout the Wizarding World and they're here for you tonight. The band that needs no introduction - Metamorph."

The entire room erupted, the screams of the girls were deafening as they ran towards the stage that had been obscured by the ice sheet. Lily grinned as she saw Teddy Lupin - to all intents and purposes her big brother - standing on at the front, his hair a brilliant shade of turquoise. When Teddy had told Harry he wanted to be a professional musician, her father had been skeptical but it had taken a surprisingly short amount of time for Teddy to leap to fame. It may have been partly due to his being Harry Potter's ward, but no-one could deny that Metamorph was good. They had been heralded by Witch Weekly the best wizarding band since the Weird Sisters, and they were living up to it spectacularly.

Teddy winked at Lily in the crowd before the band burst into their first number, the famous "Transformation". Lily grabbed Scorpius's hand and pulled him into the throng of people to dance. The song was fast and loud, and soon everyone was on the dance floor. The first song ran smoothly into the next, even faster than before. Lily and Scorpius were jostled and pushed by the crowds and as the second song became the third, Lily felt a tug as someone in the crowd stepped on the hem of her dress and she tripped, falling straight into Scorpius's waiting arms. She looked up at him, face flushed and felt her heartbeat increase rapidly. She had only just noticed how close they were, and now she felt the heat of the room rising to her cheeks.

"It's bloody boiling in here. Can we go outside?" She shouted over the music, and he nodded curtly. For some strange reason, she though she saw sadness in his eyes as he led her from the dancers. They slipped through the doors and into the grounds where they saw more than one couple disappear into bushes before them. Lily rolled her eyes as she noticed Ella and Francis slip away into the night.

"It's lovely out here." Lily whispered, staring up at the sky. The night was clear, and the moon full and bright in the sky. Looking out across the grounds Lily breathed in and out deeply. She wandered out across the grass towards Gryffindor Tower, where the light of the moon made whitish pools on the grass. Scorpius followed her somewhat reluctantly, she thought, and when they reached the Tower she turned to him.

"Are you alright?" She asked, and he looked away as he muttered.

"Yeah. Yeah I'm fine."

"I don't believe you." She told him bluntly, placing her hand on his arm and turning him to face her.

"Sorry, I'm just a little tired, that's all." He smiled weakly and Lily gave him a searching look before seeming satisfied. He noticed her give a tiny shudder,

"Cold?" He asked, and she shook her head as another shiver ran through her.

"Well you don't look it." He said, extending his arm to her. She hesitated a second before letting him enfold her in his arms, she could smell his clean scent and she looked up as she felt him sigh. His blond hair looked white in the moonlight and his eyes were dark in his face, and Lily felt her heart rate increase again just as a loud bang sounded from inside the castle, and the pair jumped.

"What was that?" Lily asked, and Scorpius only shook his head - a look of pure terror in his eyes.

"Scorpius, are you- " Lily began, before she felt a hand come over her mouth. She tried to scream but the sound was muffled against the strong hand that held her. In the moonlight, she saw Zabini step out with a sadistic smirk covering his face.

"Well well well. Look what we have here."

_**A/N - You know I love reviews... indulge me! **_


	14. A Rescue Mission

_**A/N - Right. I never thought it would take me another week to update, but my Dad (genius man that he is) thought that after three weeks in the Arctic Tundra, a camping trip would be just what I wanted. Nevertheless, here it is - the chapter you've all been waiting for! Enjoy, my lovely readers! **_

_**Discalimer: Moi? Own Harry Potter? No.  
**_

Scorpius heard Lily scream his name with horrible clarity. Though the sound was muffled by Goyle's enormous hand, Scorpius could hear all the fear, desperation and faith in that word. She thought he would help her, and as he met her frantic eyes he had to fight back tears. As he stared at Lily, he saw realisation dawn in her eyes as they hardened against him. Gone was the frenzied fear, to be replaced only by betrayal and hatred. He wanted to rip Goyle's arms off – anything to get her free – but he knew it was fruitless. He would have to keep quiet for now, let them carry her away, but his resolve was hardened. He would not let her die thinking he had betrayed her. It took all his self control to remain emotionless, rigid as Zabini revelled in his victory.

"Not so brave now, are we Miss Potter? Did you think you could really trust Malfoy?" He laughed darkly, "Unfortunately, you won't have any opportunity to learn from your mistake since we've got some friends in the Forest that we'd like you to meet. Get her tied up and silenced, Nott, I'm in no mood for her protestations."

Scorpius held his breath as the Slytherins cast binding and silencing charms on Lily, and finally hoisted her into the air and began to carry her towards the Forest.

"You know, Malfoy, I wasn't sure if I could trust you but I'm happy to say I was wrong. Have a good night." Scorpius watched Zabini retreat into the dark, and felt a surge of victory as his blood warmed inside him. He was free, and he was going to save the girl he loved from death in the dark Forest. He set off at a sprint back towards the castle, whispering to himself as he ran,

"You weren't wrong, Zabini."

He arrived back in the Great Hall, panting and out of breath, only to find it completely empty.

"Oh, for Merlin's sake! Where _is _everyone?" He cried, and jumped as he heard a voice reply,

"What's up?"

Scorpius could have jumped for joy as he saw Albus Potter wander into the Hall.

"Someone set off a load of Weasley fireworks in the Astronomy Tower and everyone's gone up to see them, Hugo denies it but... where's Lily?" Albus asked, and Scorpius felt his stomach drop.

"That's the issue. Err, Al, I need your help. It's a long story, but Lily's in danger – the Slytherins have got her and they've taken her into the Forest. If we don't find her she's going to die. There are Acromantula in that Forest and Lily's going to be Christmas dinner if we don't get there soon. Please, come with me."

Albus looked completely dumbfounded for a second before he stuttered,  
"Shouldn't we... find a teacher?"

"We can't get up to the Astronomy Tower in time – Al we _have _to go." Scorpius almost shouted, and Al looked around for a second before he nodded. They we running from the Hall when Al stopped,

"If you knew about this, why didn't you stop it?"

"Look, I said it was a long story and you have no idea how much I hate myself for it but I was trapped into helping them though I never wanted to, now we have to save her. Once this is over, you have full permission to punch me in the face or curse me into oblivion, or both."

"I may hold you to that, if Lily doesn't get you first." Al muttered as they sped towards the Forest. Just as they reached Hagrid's cabin, Scorpius and Al noticed a small group of people coming from the Forest. Scorpius pulled Al behind the hut just as the Slytherins walked past; they stole quietly through the night back towards the castle. Albus and Scorpius looked at each other, and both could see the frustration and worry in each other's eyes as they let the Slytherins pass.

"We'll get them later." Scorpius promised as they emerged from their hiding place and took off towards the Forest again in the direction the Slytherins had come from. Once in the trees they stopped.

"Where now?" Albus asked, and Scorpius shook his head.

"I have no idea."

They stood in silence for a minute, staring at the surrounding trees hopelessly, before Scorpius exclaimed,

"That way!"

"How do you know?" Albus asked, looking at his friend in confusion.

"I remember that tree, the one with branches on only one side, from when we came with Hagrid. There's a path just beyond it that'll lead us to Lily."

The boys crashed through the undergrowth, not caring what heard them. Time was running out, and as Scorpius looked at his watch he saw that they had approximately ten minutes before the gruesome spiders would appear in that little clearing. Eventually they stopped near to where Lily had discovered Flitter.

"This is it, or near to it anyway. We have to be quiet." Scorpius whispered, and Al nodded. They both remained absolutely still and listened, after a few seconds they heard it – a small, strangled sob from their right. There was a gap in the bushes, presumably from where the Slytherins had entered, through which Al and Scorpius glimpsed a huddled figure, clothed in plum velvet. Her fiery red hair was now matted with leaves and twigs, and her dress splattered with mud. Her hands clasped her knees and Scorpius could see there were blue bruises in the shape of fingers already staining her ivory skin. Scorpius felt his breath hitch in his throat as he and Albus broke through the bushes and into the clearing.

Lily gave a tiny start and looked up at them, tear tracks staining her face and her eyes were wide with terror. When she saw that it was Scorpius, they hardened again, though she could not hide her surprise at seeing Albus.

"What are you doing here?" She whispered disdainfully, looking only at Scorpius. Despite the serious situation, Scorpius couldn't help but laugh a little, and rolled his eyes.

"Rescuing you, idiot." He knelt to free her of the cursed rope that had burnt dark tracks on her pale ankles, but she twitched away from him.

"Don't touch me." She said, power returning to her voice. She wouldn't look at him again, but stared past him to Al, who came forward. Scorpius withdrew his hands and stepped back, though every atom of his being wanted to gather her up in his arms and carry her away. He was jerked back to reality by Lily giving a shrill cry,

"No! It'll burn you if you touch it."

Al looked from Lily to Scorpius, panicked, before slumping and releasing a low moan.

"Well what the bloody hell are we going to do now?"

Lily opened her mouth to reply, but Scorpius had already produced his wand and was pointing it at the ground.

"Hold out your hands." He told Albus, who looked at him mistrustfully but did not move his hands. Scorpius sighed – he should have known better than to expect trust. "Zabini told me – if you wet your hands before you touch it, the water acts as a barrier to the curse. I'm just going to get some water onto your hands so you'll be able to untie the knot."

Albus simply sat, looking at Scorpius with suspicion in his bright green eyes. Scorpius knew he didn't deserve Albus's trust, but he couldn't help the annoyance creeping into his voice as he said,

"Look, do you have any better ideas, or a wand on you? No, I didn't think so. I know I have given you absolutely no reason to believe me, but I want us all to get out of here alive. The longer we stand around here the more chance there is that those bloody enormous mad spiders are going to arrive and... eat us. So let's get a move on, shall we?"

Albus sighed, and glanced to Lily before he turned back to Scorpius and held out his palms for Scorpius to cover with water as he muttered,  
"Aguamenti."

Scorpius held his breath as Albus reached for the black rope attached to Lily's ankle, and breathed a sigh of relief as his hands began working the knot, unaffected by the burning curse that had caused red and black welts to appear on Lily's hands when she had tried in vain to save Flitter. The knot was tight, and as Albus's slippery fingers tried to loosen it Scorpius felt his heart give a jolt as he heard an all too familiar sound in the distance. The deep rumble of hundreds of legs running across the soil of the forest floor.

"Al..." Scorpius said, and he couldn't keep the tremor from his voice, "I don't want to rush you, but we've got about twenty seconds before the spiders arrive."

"Right then, I'd better get a move on." Albus replied; his attempt at humour lost in his trembling voice. Scorpius walked past them towards the rumbling sound, standing with his wand pointing towards the darkness. He glanced back briefly to Albus and Lily, though Albus's hands shook violently, Lily was still and silent. She looked back at him briefly, and he thought he saw a trace of forgiveness in her eyes before they filled with tears and she turned from him.

The sound was getting much nearer now, and Scorpius could feel his heart beating like a drum in his chest even over the ominous rumble. He could see shadows moving in the trees only ten feet away, and he blasted one enormous spider off its feet with a jet of red light which light up the forest and gave him a view of exactly how many spiders there were advancing on them.

"ALBUS!" He shouted, panicked, as he shot another beam of red light into the trees. "HURRY UP!"

As the first spider broke through the trees and tore towards Scorpius he reacted without thinking. He closed his eyes and thought of dancing with Lily, the feel of her waist in his arms, the smell of her flame red hair and the way her warm eyes danced when she laughed. He was in the Great Hall, with its grand hanging icicles and twinkling lights, not the dark, dank forest where he fought not just for his life, but for Lily and Albus's as well.

"Expecto Patronum!" He heard himself yell, and saw a mighty silver eagle burst from the tip of his wand and send the spider flying into the darkness. Scorpius watched it fly around the clearing as he concentrated on the memory of that past evening. He could see by the light of his shining Patronus that the spiders were recoiling from the clearing. Jubilation rushed through him, and the enormous eagle shone all the brighter for it.

Suddenly, he heard a joyous,  
"Aha!" From Albus, and saw him pull Lily up from the ground. "Come on Scorpius, we're getting out of here."

Scorpius began to back away quickly, making sure his Patronus still kept the spiders at bay. They were nearly back in the trees when Scorpius heard a pained cry. He turned to see Lily on the floor once again; her skirt had ridden up to reveal the dark, black burns on her ankle for a second before the Forest became pitch black once more as Scorpius's Patronus faded rapidly.

"Lily, you have to run." He shouted, hauling her off the ground with one arm and passing her to Albus, who put his arm around her waist to help her along.

"Stupefy! Stupefy! Stupefy!" Scorpius cried as the spiders began to attack again, taking out the fastest as they hurtled towards him before turning and running out of the clearing, shooting spells behind him as he went, not knowing whether or not he hit anything. He could hear Lily and Albus's footsteps ahead of him, and the low roar of oncoming Acromantula behind him. As long as he could keep that delicate equilibrium going until they reached the edge of the Forest, it would be alright. The spiders wouldn't stray too far from the webs - that much he knew- and they were getting close to the borders of the Forest now, as more light began to penetrate the darkness. Hope was beginning to blossom in his heart when the ground was no longer beneath his feet, and he was falling through space.

He landed with a soft thud on the forest floor, and whirled around just in time to send a spider flying through the air and landing with a sickening crunch against a tree. He had half scrambled to his feet when he felt a huge weight crash down on his chest and found himself staring into the many eyes of a huge spider. Its enormous pincers were dripping with venom and gnashing fiercely at him. Scorpius felt himself winded completely, and gasped for air beneath the creature; he gave a strangled cry of,

"Reducto!" And took another great lungful of air before springing to his feet and stupefying another spider as it hurtled towards him. He was running faster than he had ever run before, terror and adrenaline coursing through his veins. Lily and Albus's footsteps drew closer as he pushed his feet hard against the soft ground, propelling himself towards the outskirts of the Forest, where he could see Lily and Albus emerging into the moonlight. He felt a lightness as the sounds of pursuit faded and he broke through the final line of trees and into the clear night air.

He stood, legs shaking violently, revelling in being alive for a few blissful moments before reality hit him hard in the form of Lily's hand slamming into his cheek with frightening force.

"I hate you!" She screamed, and the fear that had once filled her eyes was gone, only to be replaced with anger, anger at him for betraying her. "How could you do this to me? I thought... I thought you were my friend, but apparently not, apparently you're just another of Zabini's bloody tools!"

At that, the mess of emotion had been building inside Scorpius burst out, indignant at Lily's accusations.

"Has it ever crossed your mind that I didn't ever want to be a part of this? Did you not even consider the possibility that since I've taken my own life into my hands to get you back, I may be a little bit more than just a "tool" as you so kindly put it?"

The blazing rage in Lily's eyes dulled with confusion, and she couldn't look Scorpius in the eye for a few seconds before she retorted,

"How do I know you haven't just yanked me out of there so Zabini can play with me some more? This is all just some sick game."

Scorpius resisted the urge to roll his eyes; she was the most stubborn person he had ever met. Still, as she stood before him with her hair in a flaming halo around her head and her eyes boring into his, he wouldn't have wanted her any other way. He had been stupid, that much Scorpius knew, but he wasn't going to let her get away from him now. Heart beating faster than he imagined it could, Scorpius crossed the short distance between them, took Lily's face in his hands and kissed her.

Lily jumped a little at his touch, but she couldn't help yielding to his soft, warm lips as they pressed urgently against hers. She kissed him back, and her heart betrayed her as it swelled in her chest to feel him twine one of his arms around her waist to pull her closer while his other hand tangled in her hair. She could smell the clean scent of his skin beneath the musty odour of the forest mud that covered his face, and she let herself be engulfed in him as she wound her arms around his neck.

It was reluctantly that they broke apart, and Scorpius rested his forehead against hers.

"Now, why would you think that?" Scorpius whispered, and Lily felt a smile break across her face, only for it to fade as he continued, "I'm sorry, Lily. I didn't have a choice – I walked in on them planning it and then I was in or hexed into jelly. I thought if I knew what was happening I could keep you safe, and I know I failed miserably but..." He stopped as Lily put a finger to his lips.

"No, I'm sorry." She said, "I shouldn't have gone off at you the way I did, after all, you just saved my life."

Scorpius started to reply, but she silenced him this time with another kiss.

"Don't blame yourself. You said yourself you didn't have a choice. Now we're safe, and that's all that matters." Lily looked up at Scorpius, and was surprised to see a fresh fear on his face.

"I don't think we're entirely safe yet." He choked, and before Lily could even open her mouth to ask why he explained hoarsely, "Your brother's still over there."

Lily whirled around to see Albus staring at Scorpius as though he wished he had an oversized arachnid to hand. His hands were balled into fists at his sides, and his jaw set in a hard line. He met his sister's pleading gaze and closed his eyes in an attempt to control himself. Lily watched him slowly relax, and when he opened his eyes again, there was a ghost of a smile on Albus's face as he said,

"Malfoy, you are bloody lucky James isn't here."

_**A/N - Ta da! You like? I'll only know if you review, my lovelies, and that would be very nice :)**_


	15. Home Again

**_Disclaimer - I do not own Harry Potter. AT ALL. Glad we got that cleared up. _**

_**A/N - Sorry this chapter had taken a while... but it's a big 'un! Hope you like it! **_

It was a moment the pupils and teachers of Hogwarts would never forget. Even Professor McGonagall couldn't help staring in disbelief as she saw Scorpius Malfoy stride into the Great Hall with Lily Potter in his arms, her brother following close behind. The whole Hall, which had previously been buzzing with chatter, descended into deafening silence as everyone present turned to Scorpius, Lily and Albus.

"I...what... would you care to give me an explanation?" Professor McGonagall finally stuttered, and the three shared a smile.

"It's a bit of a long story, Professor." Scorpius said finally, and Professor McGonagall nodded before ushering them out of the Hall. As soon as the doors closed behind them, they heard the Hall erupt with talk. Professor McGonagall turned to the three students and asked,

"Firstly, why does Miss Potter require carrying?"

"My ankles aren't in any state to carry me at the moment, Professor." Lily explained, and nodded to Albus to lift up her skirt and show the Headmistress the black and red rings around her ankles from where the cursed rope had burned her. Professor McGonagall gave a small gasp and ushered them forwards,

"Then I think we will need to visit the Hospital Wing before we do anything else." She said, "Are you coping, Mr Malfoy?"

"Perfectly, Professor." Scorpius replied, and hurried after the Professor towards the Hospital Wing. Madam Patil was tending a first year patient with a nasty purple rash on one of his arms and gave a cry of alarm as Professor McGonagall hurried in, closely followed by Scorpius holding Lily, and Albus.

"What in Merlin's name have you done now, Miss Potter?" The nurse exclaimed as Scorpius laid Lily down on the nearest bed.

"That's just what I've been trying to discover, Madam Patil. Could you see to Miss Potter while I talk to these gentlemen? I may come back to speak with you as well, Miss Potter."

Lily nodded, and winced as Madam Patil raised one of her legs to examine the damage. Scorpius heard her tutting as he and Albus followed Professor McGonagall from the Hospital Wing up the many flights of stairs to her office, ascending the final steep flight of stairs after The Headmistress had given the password, "Tartan" and the stone statue had leapt aside.

The pair stood uncomfortably as Professor McGonagall seated herself at her desk and surveyed them over the top of her round spectacles.

"Well then boys, would you like to tell me what has been going on?"

Albus looked at Scorpius, who sighed and turned to the Professor.

"Well it all started at the beginning of term really. I was going up to the Owlery when I overheard Zabini, Nott, Flint and Goyle talking about some plan they had, and I thought it was something to do with Lily so I kept listening, but then Peeves came along..."

Scorpius felt more than a vague sense of déjà vu as he told Professor McGonagall his tale, only this time he spoke for a full half an hour before it drew to a close as he described their escape from the Forest.

When he was done, Professor McGonagall heaved a heavy sigh.

"I thought Hogwarts was done with these matters, but it appears there must always be evil in some form. I cannot rebuke you for your conduct, though, Mr Malfoy and I am sorry for the situation in which you found yourself. I am sure it will be of little consolation, but I would like to award Ravenclaw House fifty points for your bravery and twenty to Gryffindor also for Mr Potter. If at all possible I would like for this to be kept quiet, although I don't hold out much hope. The Press have a way of finding things out, I sometimes wonder if journalists have to be trained in Legilimency. Anyway, I trust you both to be discrete, and I will send Professors Jordan and Longbottom to bring in the Slytherin boys. Now I suggest you both go to Madam Patil for a Calming Draught and then go to bed. You'll have to be up early to catch the Train tomorrow." She told them, dismissing them with a tired wave of her hand. The boys were just leaving when Albus turned around and asked quietly,

"Will Lily be alright to come home tomorrow?"

"Of course she will; Madam Patil will put her right in no time." Professor McGonagall told him with a kindly smile. Albus nodded shyly and followed Scorpius from the room. Once outside Scorpius turned to Albus.

"So, are you going to punch me or can I stop worrying?" He asked, daring to smile slightly. Albus seemed to reflect on his options before shaking his head.

"Nah. After all you've been through, that would be mean. I can't speak for James, Teddy, Dad or Uncle Ron though – good luck with that." Albus patted him on the shoulder as Scorpius blanched, and he couldn't help laughing a little.

"Merlin save me." Scorpius muttered as they continued the way they had come, back towards the Hospital Wing. The corridors were completely clear, as the rest of the students had been hurried to bed after all the drama – something for which Scorpius was immeasurably thankful. When they reached the quiet Hospital Wing they found Madam Patil still tending to Lily, they both looked around as the boys entered, and Madam Patil sighed.

"The Headmistress will have sent you both for a Calming Draught I imagine. Wait here, I'll be back in a minute." She bustled off towards her store, and Scorpius and Albus crossed to where Lily was lying, her legs covered in a sticky yellow paste to her knees, and she rolled her eyes.

"I'll be fine by tomorrow. I don't think I have to remind you that I've already recovered from that rope once."

"It was nowhere near as bad as this though." Scorpius fretted, and Lily gave a weak laugh, taking his hand.

"I'm going to miss you, you complete idiot." She murmured, and it as Scorpius's turn to laugh.

"Good to know I'm appreciated."

There was a small silence, broken eventually by Madam Patil arriving with a large bottle containing a navy blue liquid. Without a word, she poured a large measure of it onto a spoon and held it to Scorpius's mouth. He gave a reluctant sigh before opening his mouth and allowing her to pour the smooth liquid down his throat. The potion felt like it was warming his whole body, and gave him a happy sleepy feeling. Albus was given the same treatment, and the boys were dismissed by the somewhat irritable nurse.

"See you tomorrow, then." Lily muttered, and Scorpius leant down to kiss her on the head and reply,

"See you tomorrow."

As the doors of the Hospital Wing closed behind them, Scorpius and Albus sighed. It had been too long a night and both boys felt a sudden need to return to their beds, and were thankful for Madam Patil's ministrations, without which they would have been sure not to sleep at all. So, with a sleepy nod, they parted for their own dormitories.

Scorpius was barely concious when he pushed open the door to his dormitory, and was thankful that the other boys were sound asleep as he just managed to pull on his pyjamas before tumbling into bed and falling straight to sleep.

The next morning he awoke to a strange quiet. From behind the curtains of his four poster bed he could tell the other boys were up, but they spoke only in whispers and moved almost silently. Scorpius though it odd, usually his roommates were loud in the mornings, especially on the first day of holiday. Scorpius sat up in bed and pulled the curtain back, to find every eye in the room looking at him. There was a moment of absolute silence before Rowan (who had brely spoken a word to Scorpius since they first met six years before) said quietly,

"Good, you're up. Err, breakfast is in ten minutes."

"What?" Scorpius exclaimed, leaping out of bed. "But I haven't packed, I need to..." He trailed off as he saw his trunk standing beside the others' next to the door. He looked around for an explanation, provided by Alistair,

"We, err, took the liberty of packing your trunk for you. We knew you must have had a shocker, so we thought it would be easier to let you sleep in." He mumbled, and Scorpius felt himself blush slightly - apart from Connor, the boys in his dormitory ignored Scorpius at all costs, and for them to actually go out of their way to help him was unheard of.

"Well, err, thanks. That was really nice of you." He said, and Alistair nodded in acknowledgement before the other boys left the dormitory. As soon as they were gone Scorpius turned to Connor,

"What was that about?" He asked, utterly dumbfounded.

"Well, you're a bit of a hero now, mate." Connor replied with a knowing smile. "It appears everyone's forgotten you're a Malfoy in light of the fact you saved Harry Potter's daughter from certain death."

"Oh. Wait, how does everyone know that?" Scorpius wondered, and Connor shrugged.

"These things have a way of getting out." He said, "Now come on, you'd better get dressed and get to breakfast. We wouldn't want to deprive the masses of seeing their hero for another minute!"

"Oh shut up." Scorpius smiled, as he quickly pulled on the muggle clothing he would be wearing for the train journey. When he and Connor left the dormitory it was with more than a little trepidation that Scorpius followed his friend through the corridors leading to the Great Hall, and he hoped that Connor had been exaggerating when he said the entire school knew his story.

Unfortunately, Connor had been absolutely right. Almost as soon as the pair entered the Great Hall, Scorpius could feel the collective gaze of the school on him as he walked to place at the Ravenclaw table. He kept his head down as he helped himself to some toast and honey, daring to look across the Hall at Lily who was chatting happily with her friends and seemingly unaware of the stares directed at her from around the Hall. It was only then that Scorpius fully remembered what had happened the previous night, and he felt a grin spreading across his face.

"What are you so happy about?" Connor asked, noticing his expression.

"Nothing." Scorpius replied, returning his attention to the toast. For some reason, he didn't want to be the one to repeat the incident to someone else. Some tiny part of him was still worried that maybe it had been a dream, or it was only relief that they were all alive that had made Lily act that way. Connor glared at Scorpius suspiciously for a minute before returning to his own breakfast without comment.

When everyone had finished eating, Professor McGonagall stood up and addressed the school.

"Ladies and gentlemen, your attention please. Before we depart for our holidays, I have an announcement to make. As I am sure you are aware, events at the Yule Ball last night were somewhat different than usual. An attempt was made on the lives of one of our students, by a gang calling themselves "The Riddle Society" made up, as far as we know, by Messrs Zabini, Nott, Flint and Goyle of Slytherin House. We are not aware of how they escaped last night, but escape they did and so I urge each of you to be on the lookout over your Christmas break for any one of these people. If they managed to get out of Hogwarts undetected then there is every possibility that they could re-enter undetected also. Vigilance is required, with matters such as this, to ensure no unnecessary evil occurs. Thank you all, I hope you have a pleasant holiday and return refreshed for the new term."

With that, the Hall seem to burst with new talk. Scorpius heard snippets of conversation fly by, but paid them no attention. He stood up with Connor to follow the masses out of the Hall and down to the carriages that would transport them to Hogsmeade station, and the Hogwarts Express. He wasn't paying much attention as he followed Connor into a carriage - his mind as elsewhere, worrying about the news of the Slytherins' escape, and what this meant for him and - more importantly - for Lily.

"Hello, Mr Preoccupied." came a voice to his left as the carriage began to trundle along the stony path. Scorpius jumped a little and Lily giggled. "I know, me too." She said, twining her fingers into his. The feel of her hand was comforting, and he smiled.

"How are your ankles?" He asked, and she grimaced.

"They don't hurt any more, but there are still a couple of marks - Madam Patil say she doesn't know how long it'll take for them to fade, if they ever do."

She looked up at Scorpius to see a black look on his face - he was staring at the other side of the carriage as though concentrating very hard on not punching anything.

"Hey, what's up?" She asked, turning his face to her, and his expression softened.

"I just can't believe I let those bastards do that to you." He muttered, and she rolled her eyes at him.

"How many times do I have to tell you not to blame yourself?" She whispered back, "Stop it."

"Just for you." He replied with a sarcastic smile. Lily smiled in reply and kissed his cheek gently - only then did the pair realise that everyone in the carriage was staring at them. There was a long silence, during which Scorpius and Lily looked sheepishly at their friends, before a huge grin broke out on Connor's face and he exclaimed,

"Well it's about time!"

The atmosphere in the carriage was decidedly warm and cheery as they travelled towards the station, and when they reached the platform Lily, Scorpius, Annie, Connor and the twins boarded the train happily chatting about the events of the term.

The train journey took all day, but it was too short for Scorpius, because knew that once they reached the station he would have to say goodbye to Lily and Connor for two weeks, and hello to Malfoy Manor, and his father's sullenness. When the green scenery outside the window turned to grey buildings he sighed quietly.

"What's up?" Lily asked from beside him, a small frown on her face.

"We're nearly at King's Cross." He said, nodding his head towards the window where the familiar London landscape was flying by.

"Maybe it won't be as bad as usual." Lily ventured, trying to cheer him up, "Your Dad's got to be proud of you once he hears what happened." Scorpius shook his head,

"I wouldn't bank on it. Those are the sons of his friends on the run."

"Mmm." Was all Lily said in reply, but she leant her head on his shoulder and stoked his arm gently in comfort.

Soon the train pulled into platform nine and three quarters, where students could see their parents waiting anxiously for their return. Everyone filed out of their compartments into the cramped train corridors as they flocked onto the platform. Lily and Scorpius waited for the others to leave the compartment before turning to each other.

"I reckon we probably shouldn't..."

"No, probably not..."

"They wouldn't react well to er..."

"This?" Lily suggested, and Scorpius nodded.

"Yeah, I think my Dad would probably throw me out." He admitted, and Lily smiled.

"I'd like to think that was a joke." She said, and Scorpius shook his head. There was a moment of slightly awkward silence before Scorpius muttered,

"We should probably go..."

"Yeah..."

"Wait a minute - I forgot something." Scorpius said, and Lily turned.

"What?"

Scorpius smiled and tucked a strand of wayward red hair behind Lily's ear. The he bent his head and kissed her tenderly, so she sighed as he pulled away.

"Oh. That." She said breathlessly, and he chuckled softly. They both jumped as someone cleared their throat from the corridor, and they turned around to see Al standing there, looking more than a little disgruntled.

"Mum sent me back to get you." He explained, and Lily rolled her eyes.

"Right. I'm coming." She sighed, grabbing her jumper from the seat where she had left it and kissing Scorpius quickly once more before following her brother out into the corridor.

"Wait a second, Al - I wanted to ask you not to tell Mum and Dad about me and Scorpius."

Albus smiled back at her.

"If course not, I care far too much about the state of Dad's mental health to tell him that. Promise me something, though."

"What?" Lily asked.

"Make sure I'm there when you tell Uncle Ron you're with a Malfoy." Albus said, and Lily smiled.

"Whatever you like. Thanks, Al."

As Lily made her way out of the train, she made a mental note to get Albus a really big Christmas present. When she stepped down onto the platform she spotted them immediately. Her mother, father and oldest brother James were waiting for her in a quiet corner of the platform (along with Ron, a very pregnant Hermione, Hugo and Rose) and Lily couldn't help running towards them. She never realised until she saw them exactly how homesick she was while at school, and now as she ran into her mother's warm embrace smiled at the thought of being home.

"Are you alright, Lily?" Her mother asked as soon as she released her. "Neville told us what happened - I'm so glad you're home. But you're not hurt, are you? Do you want us to take you to St Mungo's just for a quick check over?"

"Stop fretting, Ginny." Harry said, opening his arms for a hug from his daughter. "Our brave girl just needs to go home, don't you think? Besides," He added, "You sound like your mother when you worry."

Ginny scowled, but relaxed as Harry put his arm around her waist, and smiled as James picked up his little sister in a bear hug.

Once Lily had said hello to Ron (who punched her on the arm telling her her always knew she'd get into trouble) and Hermione (who chastised him and asked if Lily was alright) the two families were just making their way towards the barrier when Harry stopped.

"Oh, I almost forgot."

The entire family stared as Harry crossed the platform to where Astoria Malfoy fussed over her son, and shook Scorpius warmly by the hand.

"It would be unforgivably rude of me not to thank you, Scorpius. I don't know what we would have done if anything had happened to Lily, and I dread to think what would have happened without you." Harry said with a warm smile.

Scorpius looked dumbfounded, but managed to reply,

"Thank you, Mr Potter - I really don't think I could have done anything useful without Albus's help, though."

"Nevertheless, it was incredibly brave of you. I'm sure you're very proud of him, Mrs Malfoy."

"I am, thank you, and glad that both our children have returned home safe." She replied with a smile, and Harry nodded.

"I'm sure my wife and I share your sentiments. We're having a few drinks etc at our home, for Christmas, you know, and it would be wonderful if your family would attend on Christmas Eve."

Lily felt her mouth drop open.

"Has Mum got Dad on a mellow Potion?" Lily whispered to James, who looked just as confused as she did.

"I wouldn't rule it out, Lily." He replied quietly.

Next to his mother across the platform, Scorpius's heart leapt with hope - perhaps the entire holiday wouldn't be unbearable. But his hope was soon dashed by sad shake of the head from his mother.

"That's very kind of you, Mr Potter, but we are required at home that evening. My husband's mother spends most of the year alone now she's... back at home and she is spending the evening with us."

"Not to worry, I hope you have a good Christmas anyway. Goodbye." Harry said with a smile, and walked back to his family.

"Did you just invite Malfoy to the Christmas Party?" Ron blurted out as soon as they had gone through the barrier.

"It was only polite, Ron." He replied, "Besides, Astoria seemed perfectly nice, and Scorpius did save Lily's life."

"But still, it is Malfoy!" Ron insisted.

"Oh be quiet, Ron." Hermione said, "I think it was lovely of Harry to invite them."

"Yeah." Piped up Hugo, "It would have been nice if Scorpius could have come - he's alright you know, isn't he Al?"

Al shrugged in agreement.

"Yeah, I suppose."

"Thank you." Lily whispered to Hugo as they all got into Mr Weasley's latest car, magically stretched to accommodate both the families.

"You're going to need all the help you can get." Hugo muttered in reply as the car sped off towards Number Twelve Grimmauld Place.

_**A/N - So what do you think? With the Slytherins still on the loose, anything could happen! Reviews are always welcome and appreciated :)**_


	16. Christmas Threats

_**Disclaimer: y ne menya Harry Potter**_

_**A/N - Who's a quick updater? I'm a quick updater. This was another chapter that I got a little carried away with and ended up being longer than anticipated! Also, it's ever so slightly more riske than previous chapters, but I'm only telling you this out of paranoia! Enjoy...  
**_

Lily gasped as she opened the door of Number Twelve and was greeted with a myriad shouts from her family, all of whom seemed to be gathered in the kitchen. She nearly fell over when seven year old Roxanne threw her arms around Lily's knees, shortly followed by her brother Fred, who ran towards Albus with an excited shout.

"Hello, you two! Merry Christmas!" Lily giggled as she was dragged by Roxanne into the kitchen where it seemed the whole of the Weasley family had gathered. Soon it was not only Roxanne and Fred who clung to their older cousins, but Lucy and Molly - almost identical but for Lucy's extra inch of height. The large kitchen seemed tiny, it was so full of people; before Lily could get a good look around, though, she was engulfed by a brightly coloured cardigan.

"Merry Christmas, Grandma." Lily choked, as Mrs Weasley squeezed her tight.

"Lily! Oh Lily, are you alright? I was so worried about you... when they said... oh you could have been killed!"

"But she wasn't, Mum, so let her go unless you want her to suffocate." Laughed George; and Mrs Weasley released Lily with a sigh.

"I'm just glad you're alright." She said, before launching another attack on Albus with a cry of, "My brave boy!"

Lily giggled to herself as George shook his head.

"Honestly, I was more worried about how the spiders are coping. Must have been terrifying for them." He laughed, and Lily punched him playfully.

"Oi! Their therapist says they'll be fine." She joked, and George smiled approvingly before running across the kitchen to relieve Roxanne of the knife she had been absent mindedly levitating. Lily heard a familiar chuckle next to her and looked up to see Louis laughing merrily at his Uncle.

"How did you get here?" She asked him, annoyed. "You didn't meet us on the Platform."

"Apparated straight here. Of course, I forget you little squirts can't do that yet." He smirked, and Lily scowled before she noticed a tuft of turquoise hair sticking out among the red sea.

"Teddy!" She squealed, and he turned to see her.

"There you are!" He said, pulling her into a hug. "I've been so _worried _about you!"

"Very funny, Lupin." She said as he released her, and he grinned.

"Well I have! Obviously if I'd stuck around long enough after the gig I would have valiantly run after you! It is my job, after all, as big brother to protect you from these things." Teddy explained seriously.

"Well then I'm lucky I have two spare ones – you're rubbish." Lily said, and Teddy made an exaggeratedly sad face before his mouth began to twitch at the corners.

"Then again," He said slyly, "I don't suppose I would have made such a dashing hero as young Malfoy."

Lily couldn't quiet look away in time to hide her blush, and Teddy exclaimed,

"Ah ha!" Before she clamped a hand over his mouth.

"Oh, I see. I am privy to a secret romance. You did look rather adorable together at the Ball. Alas! That your families should be so sadly at odds with each other!" Teddy swept his hand against his forehead dramatically as Lily hissed,

"Edward Remus Lupin, shut up!"

"Or what?"

"Or I'll tell Victoire about that pair of her knickers you still have tucked away in your drawer." Lily exclaimed, victorious, as Teddy blanched.

"You wouldn't!" He breathed, and Lily smiled.

"Of course I wouldn't, just like you won't tell anyone about Scorpius."

Teddy nodded silently and stole a quick glance at his ex-girlfriend standing across the room, deep in conversation with Rose. The pair had parted amicably three years previously, but Lily knew Teddy still nursed a soft spot for her cousin – no matter how many girls had been throwing themselves at his feet since Metamorph became famous.

Lily didn't have long to revel in her victory before she was dragged away from Teddy by Lucy and Fred, inundating her with questions about her last term. The pair would be attending Hogwarts for the first time the following September and were eager to hear about what they should expect. Mostly, their questions were about day to day life at school, and Lily was thankful for it – she was already tired of questions about the disastrous Yule Ball and their innocent inquiries were a welcome break.

It wasn't long, however, before the younger Weasleys were put to bed by their parents, and Lily and Albus were back in the spotlight. They repeated their story for what seemed like the thousandth time in twenty four hours, until finally Albus finished with,

"We were a bit scared for a second, but then Scorpius came out through the trees and... well..."

"That was that." Lily finished for him, and Hugo had to stifle a laugh behind his hand. He sobered up instantly as Lily shot him a dark look.

Another hour passed before Harry looked at the clock on the mantelpiece and declared that it was, "Time for bed."

So with many protests (especially from Hugo) the four cousins made their way up the narrow stairs of Grimmauld Place to their bedrooms. Lily and Rose crept into Lily's room, where Lucy and Molly were asleep on the floor. As the door closed, Rose whispered,

"So you just aren't going to tell them?"

"Tell them what?" Lily asked, innocently.

"You know exactly what – Scorpius." Rose replied and she crossed her arms in a way that so closely resembled her mother, Lily shivered.

"No, I am not going to tell them. Dad would do his nut, not to mention James, your Dad, Uncle George..."

"Alright, I suppose I understand where you're coming from. I still think you should tell them, though. You saw your Dad on the Platform – he might be fine with it."

"Yes, and he might also be fine with me dating the Giant Squid. Goodnight Rose."

"Goodnight." Rose mumbled as the pair got into bed and drifted almost immediately to sleep.

The next week for Lily passed in a whorl of shopping, laughing and decorating the house. Her father was very particular about having the house full of people colour at Christmas, because that had been when Sirius was most happy there. With all the presents bought and the house bedecked in glittering tinsel, floating paper chains and bunches of mistletoe, Lily had only just sat down, exhausted, in one of the comfy armchairs by the fire when Rose came running down the stairs.

"What on Earth are you doing, Lily? The guests are going to be here in fifteen minutes!"

Lily gasped – somehow in the midst of all the preparations she'd forgotten about the party. She took the stairs two at a time and threw open her wardrobe door. She pulled out the first dress that caught her eye; it was made of heavy emerald green silk and had been a birthday present from her mother the previous year. Now it was a little shorter on her, falling just above her knee, and she filled it out a little more but thankfully the dress still fit. She hastily clasped her silver broomstick pendant around her neck and scraped her hair back into a messy bun before slipping her feet into some silver pumps and running back down the stairs.

"Lily darling, you look lovely!" Ginny exclaimed as she finally burst into the kitchen.

"Thanks." She muttered, and went to sit over by Hugo. The whole kitchen was sparkling clean and the fire burnt merrily in the grate and the whole room was adorned with mistletoe and holly, with an enormous Christmas tree in the corner. She had only been admiring the kitchen for a few seconds before the doorbell rang and her mother shouted at her to answer it. Lily had a sneaking suspicion she knew who waited for her on the other side of the door and, sure enough, she was greeted by Luna, Rolf, Lorcan and Lysander who were early as they were every year.

"Hello Lily!" Luna said dreamily, hugging her briefly before waltzing down the corridor to the kitchen. Rolf wished Lily a "Merry Christmas" before following his wife and leaving Lily with the boys, who greeted her enthusiastically.

"Hello Lily, Merry Christmas!" Lorcan beamed, almost jumping on the spot. "I haven't seen you since before the Ball, but I heard about what happened. Wasn't it brave of Scorpius and Al to go and save you?"

Lily laughed,  
"Very brave, and I'm incredibly glad they did!"

"Is Scorpius coming tonight?" Lysander asked, gazing down at the troll's foot umbrella stand with interest.

"No, Lysander he's not." Lily blushed, and Lysander looked up at her with curiosity.

"Strange." He said, "I would have expected him to be coming. He is your boyfriend after all."

"Err, yes but I'd rather you two didn't mention that this evening." She explained, and they both nodded.

"Of course, I expect your Dad would react rather badly." Lysander commented, before drifting towards where the adults were gathered in the kitchen. Lily shook her head with a smile as began to follow them, only to have the doorbell chime again. Lily sighed, she could tell this was going to be a long night – when she thought about it, a horrible proportion of the guests were fully aware of the relationship between her and Scorpius, and she didn't enjoy the prospect of having to keep several people quiet all night. When she opened the door, it was to find Professor Longbottom on the front step, smiling jovially.

"Hello Lily! Having a good holiday?"

"Yes thanks Prof... Neville." She replied, and he chuckled.

"So how many times are you betting you and your cousins are going to do that over the course of the evening?"

"Too many!" Lily admitted as she let him in. "Oh and Pro... Neville, would you mind _not _mentioning that I went to the Ball with Scorpius. I haven't quite worked up the courage to tell Dad  
yet."

Neville nodded understandingly.

"A large glass of firewhiskey always helps." He suggested with a wink, and Lily laughed.

"I'll bear that in mind."

After that, everything seemed to blur, with new guess arriving just as Lily showed the previous ones in. Nevertheless, Lily couldn't deny she was pleased to see Annie and the Creevey  
twins again, not to mention Hagrid, who nearly broke her ribcage with one of his hugs. She was laughing heartily as Hugo screwed up his face in distaste as he took a sip of his Dad's firewhiskey. The grin was wiped off her face, however, when she opened the door to find the McLaggen family standing there.

"Hello." She managed finally, forcing a smile. "Come in, drinks are being served in the kitchen."

Mr McLaggen nodded curtly at her before marching past her with his wife. Francis and Cormac Jr lingered in the doorway.

"Err, Ella's here somewhere, Francis." Lily said, struggling to keep her tone friendly and light when all she wanted to do was push the pair of them out of the door and down the front steps. She would have to be nice to them if she wanted them to listen to her.

"Before you, err, go in there, I was wondering if you could do me a favour. My family doesn't know about me and Scorpius and I would appreciate it if it stayed that way. So if you could refrain from mentioning it, that would be wonderful."

"Yeah, I understand. No problem." Francis said, and slouched into the kitchen where he spotted Ella talking to Albus. Cormac, however, stayed where he was leaning nonchalantly against the wall.

"So, what do I get out of this arrangement?" He asked, smirking infuriatingly at Lily.

"I... won't hex your balls off?" Lily offered, rapidly losing patience with her audacious Quidditch Captain.

"Now you see, that doesn't really seem like a good deal to me. I would love to see your face when Daddy finds out you're playing tonsil tennis with Malfoy in your spare time."

"Don't be so crude, McLaggen."

"Don't blame me for telling the truth. I'm not entirely sure you'd _know _how to hex my balls off, so at the moment I'm not entirely sure I could be persuaded to keep my mouth shut that way."

Lily fought for calm, and repressed the urge to use the Bat Bogey Hex on him, but she knew that would only end badly. Instead, she forced herself to open her eyes as wide as they would  
go and cross her arms in front of her body tantalizingly. She saw his eyes flick down to her chest and back again before he chuckled to himself.

"Nice try, Potter, but I'm going to take a little more convincing than that."

He had come away from the wall and was approaching Lily none too slowly. Suddenly she found herself backed up against the hallway wall, with his face inches from hers. Her heart beat a little bit faster as she felt his hand skimming up her thigh underneath her dress. Lily took her opportunity, and slipped her leg around his, holding him in place. She leant up and whispered in his ear.

"You shut up for the evening, and I won't scream for James."

"What?" He yelped, pulling back to look at her.

"You heard me. You see, you have me in a somewhat compromising situation here - it would be a shame if I were to scream and my big brother (who, I must admit, has never liked you) were to run down here and discover us. I don't think you'd come out of that too well."

Lily smiled with victory as Cormac blanched. She raised her eyebrows at him slightly, and he sighed.

"All right, Potter, you win."

"Thank you, McLaggen. I appreciate your co-operation." Lily smiled, pushing him off her gently and rearranging her dress.

"By the way," She added, as they walked into the kitchen together, "With George Weasley as my Uncle, I've been able to hex someone's balls off since I was twelve. Ask Hugo, he was in St Mungo's for three weeks." She winked at him before crossing the kitchen to talk to Annie, who whispered,

"What in the name of Merlin have you done to McLaggen?"

"Something I don't want to repeat. I think I need a shower." Lily muttered, and Annie gasped.

"You didn't!"

"No! But I did threaten to scream for James – all because I have an inconvenient boyfriend, and I don't want my Dad to find out."

"Oh you poor thing." Annie said, stroking Lily's arm in comfort.

"I bring it upon myself. Why is McLaggen here, anyway? Your Dad hates him, Ron hates him, everyone hates him."

"His wife was in the Harpies with Mum – she's actually half decent." Lily told her, and Annie shrugged.

"Bad taste in men though."

Lily giggled at Annie's bluntness, and went to get them another Butterbeer.

The rest of the night passed without a hitch, Lily's threats seemed to be working nicely on Teddy and McLaggen (although Lily knew Teddy would never really tell). It was past midnight when the last guests went home, and Lily and Rose went back up the stairs to bed, eager for sleep so the morning would come all the faster. Lily slept dreamlessly, and when she was awoken by a loud tapping sound it felt as though she'd only laid her head on the pillow moments before. Confused, she looked around to see where the noise was coming from and saw a black, orange eyed owl tapping its beak insistently against the window. Attached to its leg was a small package.

Lily crossed quickly to the window and opened it, letting the owl swoop in and land on her bedpost, standing proudly as he untied the parcel from his leg. Once it had been the removed the owl swooped back out of her room as Rose woke, rubbing her eyes sleepily.

"What was that?" She yawned.

"Owl delivery." Lily replied, looking at the label on the parcel, "For me."

"Three guesses who that's from, then." Rose said quietly, "So if I were you I'd open it before the other two wake up and ask questions."

"I'm sure I don't know what you mean." Lily whispered, but she had a sneaking suspicion that Rose was right. She ripped off the brown paper and found a little blue box with a note.

Unfolding the parchment carefully she read the note,

_Dear Lily, _

_Merry Christmas! I hope your cousins are keeping you amused (I'm looking to Hugo here), and that you have had a relaxing break. I can't deny I am looking forward to its close and seeing you again, of course I'm also dreading the prospect of leaving my darling Father here..._

_I can't boast incredible taste, but I hope you like my little Christmas gift. _

_Love,  
Scorpius _

Lily smiled to herself as she read his note, and Rose smiled too.

"I thought so. What's in the box?"

"I don't know yet, do I?" Lily exclaimed, putting the note on her bedside table and turning her attention to the navy blue box. Prising it open she gave a little gasp as she saw a delicate silver bracelet nestled in the velvet lining. The chain was fine and delicate, but with an ornate clasp in the shape of a lily. As Lily clicked the bracelet into place she couldn't help beaming. It fit her wrist perfectly.

"It's beautiful!" Rose exclaimed, and Lily nodded in agreement. She heard an excited squeal behind her and just managed to stuff the note and the box into the drawer of her bedside cabinet before Lucy and Molly turned to them with an excited,

"It's Christmas!"

"Come on then," Lily said, as excited as they were, "Let's go and wake the adults!"

It wasn't long before every occupant of Number Twelve was up and gathered in the spacious living room. Another Christmas tree stood tall in the corner of the room, with presents piled high underneath it. Grandma Weasley was barely seen from the moment she arose until she ushered them all into the kitchen for Christmas dinner. If possible, Grandma Weasley has surpassed herself this year – and enormous Turkey was the centrepiece, golden and succulent, with a plethora of vegetables surrounding it. Wizarding crackers were piled onto the table, and Lily pulled a rather spectacular one with Hugo which went off like a canon with a cloud of green smoke, presenting her with a Native American chief's head-dress and a set of glass Gobstones. When the family thought they could eat no more, Grandma Weasley brought out a huge Christmas pudding that was under no circumstances to be refused. Once it had been consumed, there was an overwhelming feeling of lethargy, and the rest of the day was spent in a pleasant laze.

When Lily finally collapsed into bed she smiled, but she couldn't help being a little bit sad as she thought about Scorpius, knowing that his Christmas would have been very different.

_**A/N - I was planning on putting Scorpius's Christmas in here too, but it turned out that would have been a looong chapter, so I decided against it. If you want me to post a seperate chapter about Scorpius's Christmas then please do review and tell me, or I'll have to make that decision by myself and I don't know what to do! **_


	17. A Very Different Christmas

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine :(**_

_**A/N - Hello! Sorry for being a little crap with the updating, but I've been busy preparing to go back to school, and celebrating getting my 10 A*s for GCSE (That's 10 Os at OWL in Harry Potter terms!) Hermione Granger's got nothing on me :)  
In all honesty, I didn't really know what I was going to put in this chapter so I sat down in front of my laptop and just wrote - this is what came out... I hope you like it! **_

There was a stony silence at the dinner table of Malfoy Manor on Christmas Eve. After his mother's initial euphoria at his arrival, the atmosphere at the old house was decidedly less than festive. The large dining room seemed incredibly empty with only him, his mother, father and grandmother there to pick silently at their meal.

Scorpius found it quite amusing to see the effect his grandmother had on his father – the only one who would dare to rebuke him, causing him to have retained a sulky silence throughout the day. Draco was in a black mood already, having picked up the Daily Prophet that morning to find a picture of Scorpius striding out of the Forest with Lily in his arms. For some reason that he could no longer comprehend, Scorpius had hoped that his father might be just a little proud of him, but that appeared not to be true. He couldn't deny that once again he was disappointed, though he was surprised to find there was any more space left for disappointment after six years of stony indifference from his father. Now, as the small family sat around the dark room, the tension was almost tangible.

"Scorpius, dear, how are your N.E. going? Astoria tells me you plan to go into Magical Law?" Narcissa finally ventured, smiling kindly on her grandson.

"They're hard work, but very enjoyable, thank you." Scorpius replied, glad of the conversation to break the tension. "It's refreshing to only have to study those subjects that interest me – although I must admit History of Magic would be a lot more interesting was Professor Binns not..."

"Professor Binns?" Narcissa suggested, and Scorpius chuckled.

"Exactly. Though my other teachers are brilliant, especially Professor Jordan, who teaches Defence Against the Dark Arts." Scorpius told her, and Narcissa nodded with interest.

"And do you friends share your lessons or are you getting to know new people this year?" She asked, and Scorpius took a deep breath before replying,

"Well, I have Transfiguration with my best friend Connor, but apart from that we don't share any lessons. I'm the only one not in Gryffindor in my DADA, but it's not too bad really – I usually sit with Albus so it's alright. Rose Weasley is the only one of my friends in History of Magic, and she's in Runes as well, so I'm not really alone in any of my classes."

"Oh." Said Narcissa, unable to conceal her shock, "Well... that's good, Scorpius."

There was another small silence, before Draco stood up from the table – his chair scraping across the floor.

"Goodnight mother, Astoria." He said coldly, before sweeping swiftly from the room, leaving half his supper uneaten. Scorpius buried his face in his hands.

"Scorpius! Did you have to goad your father?" His mother sighed, and Scorpius couldn't help replying,

"It's not my fault he's a bigoted git, mother. They're my friends – as far as I recall, the friends _he _picked out for me are currently on the run because they tried to kill a fourteen year old girl." He stood up from the table and marched to his bedroom, closing the door with a little slam. He slumped down on his bed and wished that he'd never come home – it had been just what he'd expected. Some Christmas Eve this was, it couldn't have been more disastrous if the house had fallen down.

Then he remembered that he hadn't sent Lily her present. He stood up and crossed to his desk, where he had been hiding the delicate bracelet. He wrote a hasty note, wrapped the parcel up and opened Socrates's cage to tie the whole package to the owl's leg. He jumped as he heard a soft knock on the door.

"Go away, mother." He moaned, and was surprised to hear a male voice reply,

"It's not your mother, may I come in?"

"Alright." Scorpius replied, sitting back down on his bed as his father edged nervously into the room. Draco sat down awkwardly on the edge of his son's bed and took a deep breath.

"Scorpius, I know I haven't been particularly... supportive of you in recent years, and I know you think it's because I'm not proud of you. At first I was disappointed that you weren't in Slytherin, but since your grandfather died I think I've come to the realisation that a son isn't, and shouldn't be, just a copy of his father. I parroted my father's views as a child and a young man, and it got me nowhere – now you've made your own choices and I realise that you, my son, are a far better man than I ever was. I am terribly sorry to have subjected you to those... fiends I called my friends and their children. I just couldn't stand to see your suffering plastered all over the papers like some bloody entertainment. This must all seem rather idiotic to you now, and I am sure you wish I had told you sooner – before you began to feel unloved. It really was down to my own weakness and my being so unwilling to confess my own faults. A father should be a strong figure for his son, not a coward, and I couldn't face making my tragic flaws known to you. I understand it may be far too late, but I didn't want you to be ashamed of your father."

Scorpius could do nothing but gape in shock at his now bashful looking father.

"I... I'm not ashamed of you." He said finally, and Draco looked up, shocked. "I mean, coming from your background it would have been so easy to do what the others have done, but you didn't. You've done everything you could to repent for what you did in the War, and you've stood up for the Malfoy family even though the rest of the wizarding world shunned us."

Draco gave a small smile, and patted Scorpius awkwardly on the arm with a muttered,

"Thank you, Scorpius."

He rose from the bed and went to the door, pausing before he left,

"Get a good night's sleep – you're going to need the energy. You know how your mother frets if you don't grin all through Christmas."

Scorpius chuckled and lay back on his pillows as Draco left the room. He was completely dumbfounded at his father's revelations and sleep seemed far away. Eventually, he drifted off to sleep, and when he awoke in the morning, he could hear a loud tapping at the window. He sat up, bleary eyed, to see Socrates rapping his beak against the window. He leapt up to open the window, and the owl flew in, another parcel strapped to his leg. This one was bigger, and wrapped in paper covered with Christmas Trees. Scorpius untied the parcel from Socrates's leg and peeled the Spellotape back gently. A note fell out, and a long, thin package wrapped in tissue paper. He opened the note first, which read,

_Dear Scorpius, _

_Merry Christmas! Do try to enjoy yourself, I'll be thinking of you here (if I can hear myself under the din). I hope you like my little gift as much as I loved my bracelet – it's so beautiful! Thank you! _

_Love,  
Lily xxx_

_P.S. Rose, Hugo and Al say Happy Christmas! _

Scorpius smiled as he read the message, and he put the note on his desk and turned his attention to the present. He pulled back the layers of paper to find an elegant quill – at first it looked grey, but as he turned it slightly the colours changed and greens, blues and golds shimmered on the feather. He jumped and hid it quickly in his desk as his mother entered.

"Oh, I'm glad you're awake – do come down to breakfast."

"Coming." Said Scorpius, pulling on his dressing gown. When he entered the dining room the fire was blazing and the atmosphere was decidedly warmer than the previous evening.

Narcissa smiled warmly at Scorpius and wished him a Merry Christmas as he sat down opposite her at the table.

The small family ate in a companionable silence, before Astoria clapped her hands and said,

"Presents?"

Over the course of the day, Scorpius received a new set of dress robes from his parents and a soft, deep blue scarf from his Grandmother. Later in the day, and owl arrived with a large box of chocolate frogs from Connor and a black leather belt with an antiqued silver "S" clasp from his Aunt Daphne. After Christmas Dinner, Scorpius retired to his room to write a Christmas note to Connor; as he was sitting at his desk finishing the letter, he heard another soft knock on his door.

"Come in." He said, and turned to the door to see his Grandmother enter.

"Hello, Scorpius. How are you?" She asked softly.

"I'm very well, thank you. What brings you to this deepest darkest corner of the house?" He joked, and she smiled a little – a rarity from the aging beauty.

"I just wanted to talk, if that's alright? I've spent the past few years in what feels like total solitude, and I feel like I ought to grasp the opportunity to talk to my grandson before he grows up and flees this despicable house, as I'm sure he will, when his time comes."

Scorpius frowned – he could not deny that as soon as he was of age he had been planning on leaving the Manor.

"I... Perhaps that's a good idea." He conceded, and Narcissa nodded.

"You don't belong here, Scorpius. Even when you were younger I could tell. Do you remember when Draco used to hold all those parties? You would always shy away from the company, especially the other boys - and thank goodness you did, it would have killed me to see you become one of them. I don't know how you've done it, but you've escaped being a true Malfoy. You know, you remind me of my sister Andromeda – she never went along with the Black sense of pride and superiority – and she had spirit, the same spirit I see in you now. I was always jealous of how my little sister found the courage to stand up to our parents, something I never had. Now of course, I see that a few months of misery and tears would have been so much better than the decades of lies and death I lived with Lucius. Not that I don't still love my son, and I'm proud of him now I see that he has become a better man than his father, but you're so different – somehow untouched by all of the prejudices that I know Draco still holds. Oh listen to me prattle, I'm sorry – I'm sure you have better things to do at Christmas than listen to an old woman harp on."

"Not really." He replied, smiling. "I understand – sometimes it's nice to just talk and have someone listen to you." His grandmother smiled slightly, and nodded.

"Talk to me, then – you've grown up so fast I feel as if I barely know you. You mentioned some of your friends, what are they like? Any of the girls interest you?"

Scorpius thought for a second. He couldn't seriously be toying with the idea of telling her about Lily, could he? She seemed to be able to read his mind, for Narcissa smiled and said,

"What's her name?" She asked, and Scorpius looked down at his bedspread, debating whether or not to confide in her. After all, he knew she was the only member of his family who would really understand, and she might be able to tell him exactly how bad his father's reaction would be. He took a deep breath and told her,

"Lily Potter."

To his surprise, Narcissa nodded as he spoke.

"I thought so. To keep it a secret meant the fruit was forbidden, and who more forbidden than she?"

"Unfortunately, you have hit the gnome on the head." Scorpius sighed. "I'm not entirely sure whether her parents or mine will react worse, so it's a secret. Then again, the whole school seems to know about it – so I don't know how long it will remain that way."

"Only time can tell." Narcissa said quietly, "I can't predict how your father will respond, try though I might. He won't like it (although I don't think that's any news to you) but whether he will show it or not is another matter. Save it a while, though, he's had a difficult few days battling with his feelings about who you've become – give him a while to cool down, Scorpius."

"Thanks, I think I'll do that." He said, struggling to hide a yawn behind his hand.

"Maybe I should leave you to get some rest." Narcissa said, standing up and going to the door. "Sleep well, Scorpius."

"Goodnight." He replied, "It was nice to talk to you."

As he lay back on his pillows a few minutes later, Scorpius thought what a strange Christmas it had been. A strange truce now seemed to exist between father and son in Malfoy Manor, which continued until the Malfoys – both of them – saw Scorpius onto the train in January.

"Will you be returning to the Manor at Easter, then?" Draco asked as Scorpius was nearly hugged to death by his mother.

"Yes, I suppose." He replied as his mother released him almost tearfully.

"Try to stay out of trouble, this term." Astoria murmured, stroking Scorpius's cheek affectionately.

"I'll do my best." Scorpius assured her, "But I can't promise anything. See you at Easter."

With a nod to his father and one more hug from his mother Scorpius boarded the train. Just as he turned into the long corridor leading down the train, he walked straight into Lily. The pair just stood looking at each other for a couple of seconds before Scorpius said quietly,

"Good Christmas?"

"Alright." Lily replied with a nonchalant shrug of her shoulders. "I missed you."

"I missed you, too." Scorpius smiled, and Lily smiled back at him before she twined her arms around his neck.

"Good." She whispered, before touching her lips to his. Scorpius felt a thrill go through him, and he pulled her closer, snaking an arm around her waist as is fist tangled in her hair. Lily giggled as her back hit a compartment door, and it rattled loudly.

"Don't worry, there's no one in there." Scorpius murmured as he placed soft kisses on her collar bone.

"But what if someone comes down here?" She tried to protest, but Scorpius only smiled.

"Sod it. I haven't seen you in what feels like forever, so I'm making up for it."

"Oh, alright then." Lily giggled before he kissed her again. She tightened her arms around his neck in an attempt to pull herself up to his level, standing on her tiptoes to place frequent, light kisses on Scorpius's lips, and jumped when she heard a soft cough.

"Lily, darling, you forgot your favourite jumper."

"Mum." Was all Lily could say. Still with her arms around Scorpius, and his around her, Lily stared at her mother standing in the corridor before her – the green Hungarian Horntail jumper in  
her hands. Suddenly, she came to her senses and let go of Scorpius, shuffling towards her mother to take the proffered jumper with a muttered,

"Thanks."

Ginny nodded and turned to go when Lily shouted,

"You won't tell Dad, will you?"

Ginny turned to her daughter with a small smile,

"And miss watching you squirm attempting to tell him yourself? Never, Lil. See you at Easter, have a good term, and you, Scorpius." She said, before quickly returning to the Platform.

There was a long silence as Lily and Scorpius stared after her; then, as if prompted, they both burst out laughing.

**_A/N - You know the drill on reviews now - I like them. I also want to know what you thought of Narcissa, since she's always been a character I found interesting in the books. _**


	18. An Unexpected Arrival

**_A/N - I would like to start off by apologising PROFUSELY for my lack of updating, I blame starting my A-Levels (NEWTS) and starring in one play, assistant directing another, writing a song for Arts Award, turning seventeen, going to see MUMFORD AND SONS (had to gloat about that) and going to Dorset on an English trip. Anyway, here is this embarassingly short chapter. I will try my best to get another one out to you asap. Enjoy..._**

The journey from King's Cross was undertaken in high spirits by Lily and Scorpius, despite the unfortunate incident at the station .The group chatted happily, swapping stories about their Christmases – Connor had them all in stitches with his story of how his father had accidentally picked up one of Weasley's Wizard Wheezes fake wands and screamed as it transformed into a rubber chicken with a loud squeak before running to Connor and apologising profusely.

Lily sat contentedly, with her legs slung casually over Scorpius's lap, her head resting comfortably on the seat behind her. Despite the chill outside, the bright, clear sunlight that streamed through the windows warmed the carriage and left Lily feeling sleepy. In her dreams, she floated above the castle suspended in the warm air – only when a cloud passed over the sun did her bubble of happiness burst and fear crept in. The cloud seemed to be forming into black cloaked figures that swooped towards her through the air. Lily tried to dodge them, swerving around the towers and battlements of the school. She knew the figures were following her but she couldn't see them, only fly blindly through the grounds.

Her heart was beating fast when she awoke suddenly, still entwined with Scorpius. The train was pulling into the station and Scorpius was looking at her, a worried expression on his face.

"Bad dream." She told him, and he nodded, wrapping his arms a little more tightly around her waist as if to protect her.

"Your heart's going like a Billywig's wing." He said, still staring at her with concern in his blue eyes.

"I was being chased." Lily explained, and Scorpius frowned.

"They can't get us at Hogwarts now." He whispered, "The Aurors will find them soon – we're safe."

"I know; it was just a dream." Lily replied with a faint smile as the last of their friends filed out of the compartment and headed out to the platform. "We should probably go..." She muttered, looking out of the window onto the bustling platform.

"Aren't you forgetting something?" Scorpius asked, turning her face towards him. A genuine smile lit Lily's face as she whispered,

"Of course, how could I not remember that."

She closed her eyes as Scorpius touched his lips to hers. She seemed to forget everything when Scorpius kissed her, and this time was no exception. His hands rested lightly on her hips before he pulled away with a murmured,

"We really should get off the train."

Lily sighed, but nodded and swung her legs off his lap, swept a look over the compartment to check for left belongings and picked up Annie's green hat on her way out. The pair stepped off the train just before steam billowed once more from the red engine and it pulled away from the station. Receiving a loaded look from Connor, the couple jumped onto the Thestral-drawn carriage with their friends (Annie receiving her misplaced hat with sincere thanks). Lily felt a warmth spread through her as Hogwarts castle came into view above the trees as the carriage trundled down the narrow track; perhaps Scorpius was right, she thought, maybe they were safe.

Lily realised her mistake as soon as she stepped into the Entrance Hall, where she was greeted by a gruff Cormac McLaggen,

"Potter, Quidditch practice tomorrow evening – it's only a week until we play Hufflepuff."

"McLaggen, it's Hufflepuff, we always beat them." Lily pointed out.

"Shut it, Potter. You're lucky you're still on the team at all, so I'd be grateful if I were you."

Scorpius looked outraged, but Lily put a calming hand on his arm and smiled at McLaggen,

"I'd like to see you try to justify that to Professor Longbottom, because funnily enough, I don't think the fact that I don't fancy you would be quite enough to convince him. See you tomorrow."

McLaggen looked furious as Lily waltzed into the Great Hall, with an astounded Scorpius following her.

"He may not be able to kick you off the team, but I imagine he's perfectly able to knock you off a broomstick. Not that I'm underestimating your flying skills – but he is about twice as big as you." Scorpius whispered as Lily sat down at the Gryffindor table.

"I've got it, don't worry." She giggled, as Scorpius placed a swift kiss on her forehead before going to join Connor at the Ravenclaw table.

A hush fell over the Hall as Professor McGonagall stood and address the school.

"Welcome back, I hope you have all had an enjoyable break and are returned fresh to the new term. Mr Filch wishes me to remind you that no matter how many Weasley's Wizard Wheezes products you received for Christmas, they are under no circumstances to be used in school. On a more serious note, may I remind you that Messrs Zabini, Nott, Flint and Goyle are still evading capture and may try to return to school, so I urge all of you to remain vigilant and to report anything suspicious to a member of staff. But now, let us enjoy our excellent feast, and I wish you all a good term."

Lily tried to ignore the concerned looks she received from Annie and the twins as she scooped mashed potato onto her plate, but she couldn't help feeling uncomfortable. As she was leaving the Hall, Professor Longbottom waved her over to him and said quietly,

"No, I know you're probably a little worried about the situation with our Slytherin friends, but I just want to assure you, Lily, that the castle is well protected and we have your safety at the top of our agenda – not least because your mother would most probably hex me to jelly if anything happened to you."

Lily gave a small laugh,

"Thank you, Professor. I know everyone's doing what they can and I'm not too worried about it, honestly – cleverer people than them have been unable to breach Hogwarts."

"That's the spirit." Neville smiled, "I'll let you get to sleep – you'll have a busy day tomorrow."

"Goodnight, Professor." Lily said, following Annie up the marble staircase towards Gryffindor Tower.

Only when Lily drew the curtains around her bed did she realise how tired she was, despite her nap on the train, and fell straight into a dreamless sleep.

The next day was crisp and cold and the girls huddled together on their way down to the Great Hall for breakfast.

"We've got Potions first thing," Ella moaned as they curled their fingers around bowls of hot porridge. "The dungeons are going to be freezing."

"Slughorn should put warming charms up – you know how he likes his comfort." Annie pointed out, blowing on her steaming mug of tea in an attempt to cool it to a drinkable temperature.

When they had finished their breakfast, the small group made their way out of the Hall towards the dungeons. As Ella had predicted, the further they journeyed into the bowels of the castle, the colder it got, but as soon as they walked into Slughorn's classroom, warmth flooded them.

"Good morning!" Slughorn greeted them jovially as they took their seats. "Partner up, we're going to be cooking up some antidotes..."

"I suppose I'd better get cracking on this one – if McLaggen can't get me fired from the Quidditch team I imagine poison is next on his list." Lily muttered to Annie as they set up their cauldrons.

Despite Slughorn's assurance that antidotes were of the utmost importance and would almost definitely feature in their O., none of the class seemed to take the lesson very seriously. Hugo in particular was feeling mischievous that day, so the whole class was treated to Ella running around the classroom in screaming hysterics trying desperately to remove the dead flobberworm from her robes. When the class finally departed for lunch, it was in high spirits (except for the occasional moans of Ella) and the morning seemed to have passed with lightening speed. The afternoon passed in similar vein, crowded round a huge bonfire outside Hagrid's Hut studying the brilliant white salamanders that lived within the blaze. All too soon, Lily was walking down to the pitch with Annie.

"For the first time I'm annoyed they don't let Weasley's Wizard Wheezes products into school – I could really do with a pair of those Curse Repelling knickers about now." Lily joked as she saw McLaggen shoot her a disdainful look from where he stood in the centre of the pitch.

"It's alright – I've got your back." Annie laughed as the pair pulled on their red training robes. When they emerged onto the pitch McLaggen was already lecturing the rest of the team.

"Now the ground is almost frozen in some places, so you won't need to push off too hard from the ground or you'll overshoot and lose control. Come on you two – we've been waiting."

"Mmmm." Was all the reply Lily gave, which seemed to enrage McLaggen further, and he simply shouted,

"Right, everyone in the air, I want three laps of the pitch and then we'll do some dodging work."

The session was hard and, despite the gloves the team was wearing, every finger on the team was frozen when they returned to the changing rooms. The entire team was bruised and battered from the dodging exercises, which McLaggen insisted on demonstrating multiple times – with Lily to "help" him. The smug warmth of the Common Room fire seemed a far off paradise as the team got changed back into their school robes. Despite the cold and the misery, Lily couldn't help beaming as she exited the changing room to find Scorpius leaning on one of the goal posts with Connor. His body was wonderfully warm as he enveloped her in a hug, and all the tension and trouble of the past hours seemed to melt away.

"You're looking especially radiant, this evening." He whispered into her hair, and Lily pulled a face.

"Scorpius, I've just come from Quidditch practice – I am far from radiant." She pointed out.

"Well, I haven't seen you all day and I always love the way you look after you've been playing Quidditch – it's something about flying that just makes you... glow."

Lily couldn't help blushing at the earnestness in Scorpius's tone, and he smirked.

"It's nice to see some colour in those cheeks." He said, "Need to get that warm blood circulating."

"Well, it's not my cheeks that are the problem really." Lily smiled, "My lips are a bit cold though."

"Are they? Well, we're going to have to fix that." Pulling her closer to him, Scorpius leant to place a tender kiss on Lily's lips. She leaned in further as he had begun to pull away, and he felt her smile as he traced her rosy cheek with his fingers.

"I think we should go back to the castle." Scorpius whispered.

"No, I like it here." Lily giggled, rubbing her nose against his and kissing him swiftly again.

"You know, there are many more private areas of the castle than the Quidditch pitch." Scorpius reminded her, and Lily grinned.

"You make an excellent point, Mr Malfoy." She said twining her small, cold fingers into his and leading him back towards the school. As they left the pitch, Scorpius saw, out of the corner of his eye, McLaggen staring after them and smiled a little to himself.

The journey to the Owlery took a lot longer than it would under normal circumstances, as Scorpius felt the need to make use of every available deserted corridor and dark corner on the way up to the tower. The pair bust, giggling into the circular room lined with perches where proud owls looked disapprovingly at them. Archie and Socrates flew over to them straight away, and Lily gasped as she ran her fingers over Archie's smooth feathers only to find them matted with blood.

"What's happened to you?" She cried, parting the feathers to find a long gash running from the back of Archie's head to where his wing met his body.

"Maybe we should take him down to Hagrid's." Scorpius suggested, and Lily nodded.

"Good idea. Come on, Archie – let's get that cut seen to."

Lily tried not to fuss over Archie as she made her way to Hagrid's Hut with Scorpius alongside her. Hagrid answered the door covered in what looked like purple blood and said,

"Oh, it's you two. I'm a little busy at the moment, I've got a coupl'a teethin' Jarveys in here, and they aren't best leased wi' each other... Why've you brought Archie?"

"He's been hurt, Hagrid, we were wondering if you could help." Lily pleaded, and Hagrid gestured emphatically for them to come in.

"O' course! O' course! Why didn' you say so? I'll jus' get these two into their basket."

Hagrid knelt down and picked up what looked like two large ferrets, and tossed them into a basket and instead of squealing as Lily had expected, they each gave a loud shout of,

"Watch it, you hairy git!"

Paying them no heed, Hagrid held out his arm for Archie, who hopped over onto the kindly Professor's arm.

"Let's have a look at you, what've you been up to?"Hagrid cooed, as he examined the wound with surprising gentleness and dexterity for such a large man.

"Oh!" Said Hagrid suddenly, making both Lily and Scorpius jump a little. "Did you know he had a letter?"

Lily looked to Archie's leg and, sure enough, there was a tiny scroll attached to it. She reached out and took it gently form him. Unfurling it, she saw the single line and blanched.

"Oh Merlin, no."

**_A/N - Sorry about the cliffy, but I had to do SOMETHING to keep you interested for the next I-don't-know-how-long until I have time to do any writing... Reviews, even just to tell me how crap I am at updating, would be welcome! _**


	19. The Room of Requirement

**_Disclaimer: No, I have not spent this long absence obtaining the rights to Harry Potter... _**

**_A/N - I know I know I know - you don't need to tell me how rubbish I am! I'm just too busy. I thought I'd be able to get at least two chapters out in half term but I've had so much work to do! But here's something anyway. As long as I knuckle down for the rest of today I MIGHT be bale to get you out another chapter on Wednesday, but I make no promises. Anyway... do enjoy! _**

"Lily? Lily, what is it?" Scorpius asked, placing a comforting hand on Lily's shoulder, and found she was shaking.

"Look." She whispered, raising the small sheet of parchment with a quivering hand so he could read the words scrawled roughly on it.

_You'd better watch your back better than your pets, Miss Potter..._

Scorpius growled; the sound reverberating through his chest as he stared at the parchment.

"If those slimy bastards think they can threaten you..."

"Shh Scorpius – it's fine. We'll take it to Professor McGonagall, she'll take a look at it and if there's any threat she'll make sure we're OK." Lily's voice was measured and calm, but the fear was easily detectable underneath.

"What is it, Lily?" Hagrid asked, his already wrinkled brow creasing with concern.

"Our dear friends, Zabini, Flint, Nott and Goyle have sent me this charming note." Lily tried to smile as she handed Hagrid the parchment.

"No!" He exclaimed as he read the sort note, his eyebrows shooting up into his mass of hair in alarm. "Well, don't you worry yer head about it, Lily. Professor McGonagall will sort it out, don' you worry. Now you jus' take that up to the castle and I'll take care o' Archie here."

"Thanks Hagrid." Scorpius said, taking Lily's hand and leading her to the door. "Come on, Lil, let's go."

The pair almost sprinted back to the castle and up the many flights of stairs to Professor McGonagall's office. When they reached the statue of the griffin before it they stopped.

"Do you know the password?" Lily gasped, and Scorpius shook his head dejectedly. The pair stood in silence for a minute before Scorpius exclaimed,

"Wait! I've got it! Professor Longbottom said it was... shortbread!"

The griffin did not move, and both Lily and Scorpius sighed.

"Are you sure that was the right one?" Lily asked, "How many times have you been up here?"

"Twice but... Hang on... Tartan!" He declared proudly, and the griffin sprung aside.

They pelted up the surprisingly long flight of winding stairs to the Head's office and when they finally knocked on the door, they were both breathing heavily, and McGonagall looked shocked as she opened the door to them.

"What on earth... Mr Malfoy, Miss Potter, would you care to explain yourselves?"

"Sorry to interrupt, Professor, but we thought you should see this." Lily gasped, holding out the scrap of parchment that Archie had delivered.

"Archie, my owl, he's been attacked." Lily explained. The Headmistress read the note and put a hand to her mouth.

"Come in, come in." She said, ushering Lily and Scorpius into her office. "Phineas – would you kindly go to your painting in Grimmauld place and see if Mrs Potter is at home. If so tell her to contact me directly."

A man with a pointed beard nodded, rose from his armchair and exited through the side of his painting. Professor McGonagall turned to Lily and Scorpius, her face softening as she said,

"So when did you discover that Archie had been attacked?"

"About half an hour ago. We went up to the Owlery to... err... send a letter, and when Archie flew up to me I saw he had a gash from just beneath his ear to his wing. I thought he'd just flown into something sharp, and so we took him down to Hagrid's, and Hagrid pointed out that he had a letter. We read it and came straight here."

"Good, you did the right thing. Ah, Ginny – thank you for replying so promptly." McGonagall turned to her roaring fire, in which the head of Lily's mother had just appeared.

"Phineas said something about a note, Minerva what's going on?"

"I'm afraid our Slytherin friends have decided to get in touch again." McGonagall said, holding the parchment near the fire so that Ginny could read it.

"But what does it mean?" She asked, and Lily explained,

"When Archie delivered this to me he had a gash from his ear to his wing – it was pretty deep."

"Oh Merlin, but they can't get into the school, can they?" Ginny exclaimed, and McGonagall shook her head.

"They shouldn't be able to, no, but we still don't know how they escaped the castle in December, so they could use the same method to gain re-entry."

"Or they never left." Scorpius said quietly, and all eyes turned to him.

"I beg your pardon, Mr Malfoy?"

"What if they never left the castle – we just assume they fled but what if they've been hiding out in the castle this whole time? If they were careful they could probably move around undetected – up to the Owlery, for instance – and we'd never know they were here. Is there a part of the castle where no-one goes?"

"No, I can't think of anywhere..."

"The Room of Requirement!" Ginny breathed, and the Headmistress gasped.

"Of course! Very few of the students know about it now but their fathers undoubtedly would have told them – if that Vanishing Cabinet is still in there they could be coming and going as they please!"

Without hesitation, Professor McGonagall flicked her wand towards the door, and out of it flew a silver tabby cat, which raced away down the stairs.

"We'll need to act quickly, before they catch wind that they've been discovered. I've called Professors Longbottom and Jordan; as long as we have the element of surprise the three of us should overpower them."

"Wait, the three of you?" Lily exclaimed. "What about me and Scorpius?"

Professor McGonagall sighed,

"I should have known you'd want to be a part of this. I'm afraid yourself and Mr Malfoy are underage and therefore may not accompany us to the Room of Requirement. I'm sorry, but I must insist that you return to your dormitories."

"But..." Lily started, only to be cut off by Ginny, whose head was still floating sternly in the study fire,

"Lily, don't argue. Go back to the Common Room with Scorpius – you've had quite enough danger for one year."

"But Professor McGonagall just said..."

"Lily!" Ginny said firmly, "Don't make a fuss – go back to the Common Room."

Lily gritted her teeth and was silent, looking imploringly at Scorpius.

"Don't look at me - I wouldn't want you within a mile of those creeps. Not that I underestimate your abilities in any way!" Scorpius insisted, seeing the scowl on Lily's face. Out of the corner of her eye Lily saw her mother and Headmistress share a smile and rolled her eyes.

"Let's go then." She said, "Good luck, Professor. Bye Mum."

"Goodnight Miss Potter, Mr Malfoy." Professor McGonagall said with a smile.

"See you at Easter, dear. Goodnight Scorpius." Ginny said as Scorpius led Lily by the hand out of the  
office.

"I can't believe it!" She exclaimed as soon as the griffin guarding the entrance had sprung back into place. "We have just as much right to go as anyone else – they tried to kill me!"

"Lily, we're underage and inexperienced..."

"So were my parents but no-one stopped them!" Lily cried, and Scorpius shook his head.

"That was different – the teachers have this situation under control, they don't need us." He tried to reason, but she was too incensed to listen.

"But why do they have to treat us like we're completely incompetent? We could handle it; we got away from those bloody spiders didn't we?" She insisted, and Scorpius sighed,

"Look, Lily, you can't keep trying to live up to this supposed reputation!"

"Mum and Dad wouldn't have just..."

"You aren't them, Lily!" Scorpius shouted, and an echoing silence filled the corridor. For a few seconds, Lily looked murderously at Scorpius before her bottom lip began to quiver and she whispered,

"I know." A fat tear rolled down her cheek and she sniffed once before continuing, "But everyone thinks... Everyone expects me to be and how can I prove that to them when no-one will let me? All I've done so far is let myself be caught and trussed up like some bloody damsel in distress for you and Al to valiantly rescue."

Scorpius sighed and wrapped his arms around her.

"You don't need to prove yourself to anyone. You are anything but a damsel in distress. In fact, I'd say you're far too bloody brave for your own good. You don't have to be them, Lily, and for what it's worth... I wouldn't have you any other way."

Lily looked up at him, a smile breaking through the tear streaks running down her face.

"You are so soppy." She said finally, her smile becoming a grin.

"It's all part of my charm." Scorpius joked with a shrug.

"It certainly is." She replied, and placed a chaste kiss on his lips.

"Perhaps the pair of you should be getting to bed." A voice said behind them, and Lily and Scorpius whirled round to see Professor Longbottom and Professor Jordan smiling at them.

"Yes we were just about to..." Scorpius started, blushing to the roots of his hair.

"Of course you were. I'd go sharpish if I were you; Filch is a wonderfully malevolent mood this evening. Besides, we've got some Slytherins to catch." Professor Longbottom said as he passed them.

"Come on." Lily muttered, hurrying down the corridor towards the Gryffindor Tower. As soon as they were out of sight of the teachers the pair relaxed, and Scorpius slipped an arm around Lily's waist saying,

"Allow me to escort you home, Miss Potter."

"How exceedingly kind of you, Mr Malfoy." Lily replied with a giggle. Scorpius placed a kiss on her head and they continued towards the dormitories.

The couple were just passing the tapestry of Barnabus the Barmy when they heard an ominous scuffling sound and a low, grumbling voice muttering,

"One of these days... That little wretch will get what's coming to him... oh yes... One of these days..."

Scorpius had only just pulled Lily behind the tapestry as Filch rounded the corner, Mrs Norris at his side – her lamp-like yellow eyes scouring the corridor suspiciously. Completely unaware that Lily and Scorpius had been in the corridor only moments before, he carried on towards his office where he would write a lengthy report that was sure to get Peeves expelled from the castle for good. Behind the tapestry, Scorpius breathed a sigh of relief.

"That was close. Lucky this room was here – what's it for anyway? I always thought there was just wall behind this tapestry." He said, looking around the large room in which they now found themselves. Rows and rows of shelves housed all manner of strange and gruesome things, and Lily shivered as her eyes fell on an old, bloodstained axe and what looked like a disfigured skeleton.

"It's creepy in here. Let's go – Filch'll be gone by now."

Scorpius nodded, and as they turned to leave a horribly familiar voice came from out of the shadows,

"Leaving so soon?"

Lily and Scorpius whirled around just in time to see a jet of red light hurtling towards them and jumped out of the way as the curse flew past them hitting what looked like a hairy book, which burst into flames with a loud shriek.

"You're a little jumpy this evening, my friends." Zabini smirked, and out of the corner of his eye Scorpius saw the other Slytherins advancing from out of the shadows.

"We're not you friends, Zabini." Scorpius said through gritted teeth.

"Well now, that isn't very friendly, is it?" Zabini drawled, twirling his wand between his fingers. "I would have thought your father would have taught you better manners, Malfoy. Oh well, I suppose we'll have to do it for him – _Crucio!"  
_

It was unlike anything Scorpius had ever experienced, the pain was sharp and stabbing at every inch of his body, causing his muscles to contract horribly. He could hear his own screaming, but was unaware that he had made the noise – all he could think about was the pain. All the light was red, and now each stabbing pain was white hot and it burned him, the more he tried to escape the pain the more intense it became and he thought his skin must surely split open.

Then, as quickly as it had come, the pain disappeared and Scorpius drew in a heavy breath, but he only had a moment of relief before he saw the Slytherins rounding on Lily. She was standing over him defensively, her wand pointing from Goyle to Flint to Nott as they advanced. Zabini was slouched against a bookshelf, a trickle of blood oozing from a wound in his head.

"What happened to him?" Scorpius exclaimed, and felt three pairs of eyes turn to look at him, and three wands point in his direction.

"Well I wasn't just going to stand aside and let him use and Unforgivable on you, now was I?" Lily sighed, her eyes still fixed on the approaching Slytherins, "It might be useful if you could get up and give me a hand?"

"Of course." Scorpius replied, only just deflecting a curse thrown at him by Goyle as he rose to his feet. Almost as though each knew what the other was thinking, Lily and Scorpius both pointed their wands at the Slytherins and cried,

"Stupefy!"

Then there was chaos. As Flint and Nott dived sideways to avoid the curses, they crashed into a heavily laden bookcase. It seemed to fall far too slowly, creaking horribly as the contents of the case spilled onto the floor and a huge cloud of dust rose like an impenetrable mist, with jets and flashes of light bursting through it.

It seemed as though all of Scorpius's senses were dulled, the lights were only dim, and the sounds muffled by the clouds, but he still heard Lily's scream with horrible clarity. Whirling around, he saw two shadows advancing on the slim figure; she was clutching her side and limping slightly. As he raised his wand to curse her attackers, he felt something white hot hit his back. He cried out in pain and fell to his knees; in the confusion he saw a pair of legs running through the dust, and reached out to grab them. A heavy body slumped down next to him and he heard a grunt that sounded distinctly like Goyle.

Just as Scorpius opened his mouth to jinx him, he felt Goyle's enormous fist hit him squarely in the face, and heard a crack as his nose broke. Then there was the sound of running feet and an ear shattering bang as three jets of white light flew over head and collided in mid air.

"LILY!" Scorpius yelled, and to his surprise heard Professor Longbottom's worried voice answer.

"She'll be alright, but she needs to get to the Hospital Wing. Then the pair of you have a _lot _of explaining to do."

_**A/N - Exciting? Yes? Do tell me what you think :)**_


	20. The Luck of Merlin

_**Disclaimer - I don't own Harry Potter... Or Rupert Grint... :(**_

**_A/N - I now I know, it's taken me another two weeks to update and I'm SORRY! I don't really know where this chapter came from, there was going to be Quidditch and all sorts but suddenly this just happened. Anyhoo I hope you like it! Also, anyone else SO EXCITED about the Seventh film coming out on Friday? Because I am! _**

Madame Patil came sprinting across the Hospital Wing as the party entered,

"What in the name of Merlin has happened to Miss Potter now? Put her down, put her down."

Professor Jordan placed Lily gently on the nearest bed, and she groaned softly; Scorpius could see a fine sheen of sweat over her face, which was even paler than usual.

"Will she be alright?" Scorpius whispered, and Madame Patil tutted.

"Of course she will, now sit down over there and wait for me to come and see to that face of yours. You look a sight."

Scorpius's hand flew to his face – in all the worry about Lily, he had completely forgotten about his broken nose. He obediently sat down on the adjacent bed while Madam Patil fussed around Lily, asking the teachers questions which they answered in hushed voices. It was a full five minutes before anyone acknowledged him again, but he barely noticed as he watched Lily's chest rise and fall as she breathed. He was so consumed by it that he jumped when Professor Longbottom addressed him.

"I know I'm not you Housemaster, Scorpius, but I like to think you and I see eye to eye."

"Yes, Professor." Scorpius replied, shaking his head a little to clear it and wincing as his nose smarted.

"I understand the frustration of being considered too young or too inexperienced to be of any use, but now I think you see why we asked you not to get involved..."

"Professor," Scorpius interrupted, suddenly grasping what the Professor was saying, "We didn't go in there on purpose to look for them."

"I must say I have difficulty believing that, Scorpius." Professor Longbottom replied with a sigh.

"No, it's true!" Scorpius insisted, checking himself as his voice rose almost to a shout in the quiet Hospital Wing. "I was walking Lily back to Gryffindor Tower, and we were just going past the tapestry of Barnabus the Barmy and those ridiculous trolls when we heard Filch coming down the corridor – and he sounded in a foul mood – so we just dashed behind the tapestry and realised something was strange. We were just about to go back into the corridor when the Slytherins appeared."

"You mean you didn't know where the Room of Requirement was?" Professor Longbottom asked, seemingly shocked.

"Well, no. My father and I have never really talked about his school days..."

"Of course, but I'm surprised at Lily not knowing."

"I know she didn't, because I remember her complaining about the fact her parents wouldn't tell her, because they didn't trust her not to tell James or Hugo who would then wreak havoc with the knowledge."

Professor Longbottom laughed quietly,  
"Perhaps a good idea on Ginny and Harry's behalf. The thought of Hugo knowing about it is somewhat frightening."

Scorpius didn't reply – he was looking at Lily again. He eyes had just fluttered open and a small smile ghosted on her lips. He felt himself breathe out heavily, only then realising that he'd been holding his breath. He inhaled sharply again as Lily winced at Madam Patil's gentle pressure on her right hip.

"That must've been where the spell hit you. Luckily it didn't pass near enough to your heart to do any real damage, but you'll be in here for a few days at least. Now I think the best thing is to give you some pain killers and a dreamless sleep potion so..."

"A few days?" Lily interrupted, her voice strained and small, "But we're playing Hufflepuff in..."

"Nonsense, girl. You are in no fit state to go flying about at a Quidditch match. No, you are staying here until fully recovered."

"But..." Lily started, only to be cut off by Madam Patil shoving a spoonful of midnight blue potion into her mouth.

"No buts. Open." Madam Patil said firmly, holding out another spoonful of pale yellow potion. Lily looked murderously at her before opening her mouth to allow the nurse to administer the potion.

"There we are. Now you just lie back and go to sleep while I take care of Mr Malfoy."

Suddenly alert, Lily sat bolt upright, wincing as she did so.

"Scorpius? Is he alright?"

"I'm fine, Lily." Scorpius assured her, "Nothing Madam Patil can't handle."

"Alright." Lily replied, her eyelids starting to droop as the dreamless sleep potion began to kick in. She dropped back onto her pillows, and Madam Patil pulled the blankets up to cover her.

"Now then Mr Malfoy, let's see to that nose of yours. She pulled a small pot of orange paste from a pocket in her robes and smeared it onto Scorpius's nose. He felt a pleasant warming feeling as the pain melted away and the paste leaked into his skin.

"That should do it. Anything else hurting?"

"Not really, just a couple of aches from where I've run into something." Scorpius replied with a shrug.

"I think those can heal themselves without my help, I suggest a good night's sleep." Madam Patil said, ushering him from the Hospital Wing along with the teachers.

"I'll let you know tomorrow how Miss Potter is getting on." She told Professor McGonagall as she closed the door.

There was a moment of slightly awkward silence, as Scorpius stared at the closed doors, before Professor McGonagall placed a hand on his shoulder and said,

"Don't blame yourself, Scorpius. None of this was your fault."

"I... I know. I just can't bear thinking that we let them slip past us again and they could still..." He faltered off, trying to repress the images that jumped into his mind – Lily lying cold on the stone floor of a dungeon, Zabini smiling viciously above her.

"This was an accident – we'll be better prepared next time for whatever they throw at us. Now we know how they're getting in and out of the castle we can monitor it and we should have them caught in no time." Professor Longbottom assured him, "Now I think you'd better be getting back to bed."

Scorpius nodded and slouched down the few corridors to the Ravenclaw Common Room. He opened the dormitory door as quietly as he could and got changed before sliding into bed and pulling the curtains around him. He tossed and turned for what felt like eternity, unable to get the picture of Lily, pale and drawn on the Hospital bed, out of his mind. He sat up and buried his head in his hands.

"This is ridiculous." he muttered to himself. "She's going to be fine, and you aren't helping anything by worrying about it instead of getting a good night's sleep."

"You know, talking to yourself is often the first sign of madness." came a soft voice from behind the curtains, making Scorpius start violently. Connor pulled the curtain back, grinning. "Come on, let's get you down to the Common Room – I think you need a pick me up."

"But what…" Scorpius started as Connor led him down the stairs.

"I shall explain momentarily." Connor said, as they walked into the warm Common Room which was still lit by a blazing fire. A small house elf dressed in a pristine white pillowcase was sweeping the stone floor with a broom that was twice its tiny height and started as they entered.

"Is it not a little late for Misters to be coming down into the Common Room?" It asked, and Scorpius and Connor could tell immediately that this was a female, since the pitch of her voice was almost too high to be heard.

"My friend here couldn't sleep – would you be so kind as to run down to the kitchens and tell old Getty that Mister Connor would like two of his favourite night time drinks?"

"Of course, sir, right away, sir." She replied and disappeared with a loud crack. Connor caught the broom as it fell – preventing it from waking the entire House.

"Connor, what are you doing? Who's Getty?" Scorpius asked as Connor sat him down in one of the purple armchairs.

"For the first few months of first year I couldn't sleep at night because I was so worried that I wouldn't be able to keep up, or one day someone would say something and I wouldn't understand because I was Muggle born. One night I came down and Getty was cleaning up the Common Room and she saw that I was crying so she went down to the kitchen and brought back this amazing hot chocolate. It just made me feel calm, and I told her all about my fears as she cleaned. After that, whenever I was worried about something and couldn't sleep I would come down here and she would bring me hot chocolate and talk to me. I could always sleep after that." Connor explained. For a moment Scorpius was stunned into silence.

"Why didn't you tell me?" He said eventually.

"Well, what would be the point? No matter how sympathetic and kind you might be, you still wouldn't understand. Besides, I didn't know you that well then." Connor replied with a shrug, and Scorpius had to admit he was right. There was a brief silence before a loud crack made the pair jump.

A wrinkled elf was standing in front of them, a mug of steaming hot chocolate in each hand so big that Scorpius wondered how her tiny wrists could support them.

"Getty has brought Mister Connor his hot chocolate, and hopes Mister Connor is all right." She squeaked.

"Thank you. I'm fine thank you Getty – just need to sort out Scorpius here." Connor said with a smile as he took the mugs from Getty and handed one to Scorpius.

"Getty understands. Excuse Getty, she must be getting back to the kitchens. Enjoy your chocolate Mister Connor and Mister Scorpius." She said before disappearing with another loud crack.

"Come on then, spill. It's about Lily isn't it?" Connor said in a matter of fact tone as he took a sip from his foaming mug of hot chocolate.

"We met the Slytherins in the Room of Requirement earlier. She's in the Hospital Wing tonight."

"Shit." Connor whispered, and Scorpius laughed once.

"She's alright, but if the teachers hadn't found us I dread to think what would've happened. I know it's stupid to worry about it – there are so many people on the lookout but if it's happened once it can happen again can't it? I know she can look after herself, she does have two older brothers, but I can't help it." Scorpius sighed.

"I know mate. Every time we have a Quidditch match I look at Annie and I can't help thinking 'what if she falls?' or something equally stupid when I know full well she's a brilliant flyer and Wood would catch her way before she hit the ground. Unfortunately it's a well-known fact that girls make you irrational." Connor replied with a smile.

"You can say that again." Scorpius said, taking a sip of hot chocolate; it was unlike anything he had every tasted before – it was thick and creamy and Scorpius thought he could taste butterscotch. A wonderful warmth pooled in his stomach and suddenly he felt pleasantly sleepy.

"I should really have problems more often." He sighed, and Connor nodded in agreement.

When their mugs were finally empty, Connor and Scorpius were both feeling decidedly calm and sleepy.

"Something tells me that I'm going to be grouchy in the morning." Yawned Scorpius, "We have to get up in three hours."

"We'd better get to bed then." Connor said, stifling his own yawn as they sloped up the stairs. It was only moments after Scorpius's head hit the pillow that he drifted into a deep, dreamless sleep.

When he awoke in the morning, the dormitory was full of light and every other bed was empty. Scorpius sat bolt upright and grabbed his watch from his bedside table. The tiny, broomstick shaped hands showed that it was half past eleven – he'd already missed the first lesson and if he wasn't careful the second would be over before he'd made it.

He sprang out of bed and dressed hurriedly, pulling his robes over his head as he sprinted down the corridor towards the Transfiguration Room. Of all the lessons, did it have to be this one? Vector was going to kill him or worse, turn him into a Ferret, which he'd been threatening to do ever since McLaggen had gleefully told the class the story concerning Scorpius's father and the impostor Moody.

He careered into the Transfiguration classroom, out of breath, with his hair sticking up at all angles.

"Ah, Mr Malfoy, how kind of you to join our little gathering." Professor Vector drawled, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"I'm sorry sir; no one woke me up this morning… I don't know how I…" Scorpius panted, and the Transfiguration Master sneered.

"How typical of you, Malfoy, to blame your many failings on your friends… Ah, Headmistress." Vector exclaimed suddenly, a malicious smile lighting up his features. "I'm afraid you have caught me in the act of giving Mr Malfoy a week's worth of detention for being horrifically late to my lesson."  
Professor McGonagall looked from Scorpius's dishevelled appearance to Professor Vector's sadistic smile and said,

"I'm sure that as Mr Malfoy offers you his most profound apologies there should be no need to put him in detention. He and Miss Potter spent a goodly amount of time in the Hospital Wing last night, and I don't imagine he had a particularly good night's sleep. I imagine Mr Berkley wanted to allow him a few more precious hours of sleep this morning, causing him to be late to your lesson."

Scorpius caught Connor eye and Connor grinned – Scorpius had to bite down hard on his lips to ensure a similar grin did not break out onto his own face. By comparison, Professor Vector looked livid as he nodded to Scorpius to take his seat next to Connor.

"Of course, Headmistress." He replied, adopting an unconvincing slimy smile and ingratiating tone, "What was it that you wanted to see me about?"

"Oh, yes. I was going to tell you there is a staff meeting this evening concerning the new OWL regulations – the board of examiners are being indecisive once more." Professor McGonagall replied with a sigh, "I'll not disturb your class anymore, Professor, oh and Mr McLaggen – I am not entirely sure Sugar Quills are entirely effective for note taking."

Scorpius looked over in time to see McLaggen's smug face redden and Professor Vector's scowl deepen. The rest of the lesson was spent pleasurably watching Vector scream at McLaggen, which ended in him receiving the week's detention intended for Scorpius. It did not put him a good mood, however and Scorpius found himself on the receiving end of McLaggen displeasure as they queued outside the Defence classroom.

"Pity old Vector didn't have time to turn you into a ferret before McGonagall came in – I would've enjoyed watching you bounce around the classroom like your dirty Death Eater father. Then again – we don't want to stress you out too much, it might land you back in the Hospital Wing. Potter too much for you eh? Told you you should have left that to me – I'd have taken good care of her."

Suddenly Scorpius found himself charging towards McLaggen, completely without control of his limbs. He didn't only want to curse McLaggen; he wanted his fists to make contact with that smug face. His knuckles had made contact with McLaggen's nose before Connor even had the chance to restrain him.

"You really are inbred bastard aren't you?" he heard McLaggen shout thickly, and fought harder against Connor's restraining arm as Professor Jordan opened the door.

"What in MERLIN'S NAME is going on out here?" He shouted, and there was an echoing silence before McLaggen said,

"Malfoy just attacked me sir! He's gone bloody mad!"

"Alright, Mr McLaggen, there's no need for crude language. Go to the Hospital Wing and see Madam Patil – I'll sort this out."

McLaggen nodded and winced before staggering dramatically in the direction of the Hospital Wing.

"Now then, what is going on, Mr Malfoy? DO I need to send you to your Head of House?" Professor Jordan said sternly.

"To be quite honest, Professor, McLaggen deserved it." Came a voice from the back of the crowd.

"That's as may be, Mr Potter, but the school expressly forbids duelling of any kind – including Muggle style. Now would you kindly tell me what prompted you to strike Mr McLaggen so violently about the face?"

"Well, first he insulted my family and then he… made a rather inappropriate comment about…"

"Lily." Connor interjected.

"Err… yeah. I know I shouldn't have reacted like that but, well, you know Lily's in the Hospital Wing now and I just… cracked."

Professor Jordan looked at him for a minute before he sighed and said,

"Well I can't say I blame you – I didn't think it was possible but McLaggen junior may just be even more enraging than his father. Nevertheless, I don't think I'll be able to get away without punishing you a little so twenty points from Ravenclaw and let's get on with the lesson uninterrupted by big headed Quidditch captains."

"Merlin is watching over you today, Scorpius." Connor muttered as they took places in the classroom.

"Trust me; I'm more shocked than you." Scorpius replied, letting out a deep breath that he hadn't realised he'd been holding. Merlin or no Merlin, something was on Scorpius's side today and he couldn't have been more grateful.

**_A/N - Reviews are always welcome, as you know! It would make me unbelievably happy if I could get to 100 reviews in twenty chapters. I would love you forever if you could make that happen for me :)_**


	21. Risks

**_Disclaimer: Accio ownership of Harry Potter! No? Damn. _**

**_A/N - God, I cannot believe it has been two weeks since I updated. I feel so bad. Also, not sure about this chapter - I wanted to put more in it but I liked the ending and I just wanted to GET A CHAPTER UP for you guys. This is another chapter featuring Quidditch, but a very different style than my last one because I thought it was fitting - you'll see what I mean when you read it! Enjoy!_**

The doors of the Hospital Wing banged open, waking Lily rudely from what had been a pleasant doze. Of all the people who could have barged in on her much needed sleep, it had to be Cormac McLaggen. As she watched him walk in, Lily wondered how it was possible for him to still look arrogant when there was blood gushing from his nose and down the front of his school robes.

Madam Patil came rushing from her office shaking her head,

"What in Dumbledore's name is all this commotion about Mr McLaggen?" She exclaimed, "Sit down and be quiet, I will see to you in a minute."

Lily couldn't suppress a groan as Madam Patil seated McLaggen on the bed next to hers, and McLaggen glanced over.

"I know it looks bad Potter, but don't worry – old Patil will have me right as rain for tomorrow's match, it's only a broken nose."

Lily bit back a laugh, and nodded seriously.

"I should hope so too." She said with mock severity, and McLaggen looked confused for a second before smiling at her, blissfully ignorant of the irony she had intended.

"So how did you manage that?" Lily asked, gesturing to McLaggen's nose from which blood was still trickling slowly.

"I... err... well...Malfoypunchedme." McLaggen muttered, and Lily had to lean forward to try to discern what he had said.

"I'm sorry, I didn't quite catch that." She said, and McLaggen blushed violently red as he replied,

"Malfoy punched me."

There was a small silence in which Lily stared, dumbstruck at McLaggen's flushed and shame-filled face before she burst out laughing. The movement hurt her bruised ribs but she couldn't help it; McLaggen looked as if he desperately wanted to protest, but sheer anger prevented him from being able to move his mouth to shout at her. Soon, his face was almost as red as the blood that stuck to it and he growled through his teeth,

"What's so funny about that, Potter?"

Lily took a deep breath, controlled herself, and told him,

"Nothing. I just enjoy how embarrassed you are about being beaten up by Scorpius Malfoy. Oh and that reminds me, what was it you were saying last Quidditch practice about him being weak as a waterless Kappa? That's what you get for underestimating people I suppose..."

Lily was interrupted by Madam Patil bustling over and patting McLaggen's face with a damp cloth covered in potion that smelled of rotten cabbage.

"Miss Potter," She said as she scrubbed McLaggen's face vigorously, "shouldn't you be asleep? That Strengthening Solution will need all the help it can get if you want to be out of here by Tuesday."

"Wait, wait, _Tuesday_?" McLaggen interrupted incredulously, "Bu we have a Quidditch match tomorrow! How the bloody hell are we supposed to beat Hufflepuff without a Seeker?"

His sudden outburst earned him a slap around the face with the cloth from Madam Patil.

"Language, Mr McLaggen! You are just going to have to cope without Miss Potter for one match, I'm sure there are a plethora of willing Seekers in your House."

"Well perhaps but..." McLaggen tried to argue, only to be cut off,

"No buts, McLaggen. If you would like to have a Seeker at all for the rest of the season, then I suggest you allow Miss Potter to rest for this weekend."

McLaggen looked murderously at her before sighing.

"Guess I'll just have to find someone else then." He admitted glumly, slumping in resignation.

"Excellent. Episky." Said Madam Patil with an efficient swish of her wand. There was a sickening crunching sound and McLaggen winced heroically, eyes watering.

"Go on then, back to class." Madam Patil said, waving McLaggen from the ward, "Let Miss Potter get some sleep."

"Alright, alright." He muttered, backing out of the door in great haste. Lily giggled to herself again, only to have Madam Patil shove what felt like the thousandth spoonful of Strengthening Solution down her throat. She gagged and spluttered as the liquid coursed down her throat, leaving a burning feeling in its wake.

Lily allowed Madam Patil to fuss with her pillows for a few seconds before lying back and attempting sleep once more. Surprisingly, she fell asleep relatively quickly and when she finally awoke, the sun was low in the sky and Madam Patil was arguing with Annie.

"She is asleep, Miss Finnegan and is therefore not available for visits. You are going to have to come back tomorrow."

"But Professor Victis..." Annie tried to argue, only to be interrupted by the matron,

"You can tell Professor Victis from me that Miss Potter is in absolutely no state to be doing homework and if he believes he knows better, then I would suggest he show me his Healer certification." Madam Patil was waving Annie from the Hospital Wing when Lily found her voice.

"Madam Patil! Can she stay for just five minutes?" Lily fixed Madam Patil with her most plaintive gaze and she saw the matron's dark eyes flit from Annie to Lily and back again before she sighed and said,

"Five minutes only. You need to rest."

"I've been resting all day." Lily muttered murderously under her breath as Annie sat down next to her bed.

"Well, I had come to deliver you a present from Victis, but under the circumstances I think I'd better leave it." Annie smiled, dumping the pile of paper she had been carrying onto the floor.

"I think that's a very good idea." Lily agreed, propping herself up on her generous stack of pillows and trying not to wince at the pain in her hip.

She should have known better than to try to hide her pain from Annie, whose piercing blue eyes never missed anything.

"What happened? Scorpius only told me you'd been cursed by the Slytherins – I've been worried sick."

"Don't be, worrying makes you look like your mother." Lily joked, and Annie scowled at her. "Madam Patil said one of them must have used a shattering curse, which causes whatever it hits to fall apart, luckily whoever cast the curse wasn't very good at it, but I've got a few cracks in my hip bone and because they're magically inflicted they'll take a longer time to heal." She explained, and Annie's face, which had been creased with worry, relaxed.

"Well, thank Merlin for the incompetence of Slytherins. But does that mean you won't be able to play tomorrow?" Annie exclaimed, and Lily nodded glumly.

"Looks like it, although," she lowered her voice to a whisper and leaned in conspiratorially, "I wouldn't be too worried if I were you."  
Annie looked at Lily for a second as if she had gone mad.  
"You aren't thinking what I think you're thinking are you?" Annie groaned, burying her head in her hands.

"That depends on what you think I'm thinking." Lily said, a tiny smirk twitching at the corners of her lips.

"You can't, Lily. You were wincing just sitting up in bed – what the hell are you going to do on a broomstick?"

Lily began to retort, but was cut off by Madam Patil storming down the Hospital Wing towards her bed.

"Right, that's it. Visiting time is over – Goodbye, Miss Finnegan." She barked, and Annie shot Lily a warning look before allowing Madam Patil to escort her from the Hospital.

Almost as soon as Annie left, Lily felt her eyelids began to droop and wondered briefly how she could possibly sleep so much before she drifted once again into a dreamless slumber.

Scorpius couldn't sleep. Every time he closed his eyes he had a vision of Lily plummeting through the air above the Quidditch pitch while he stood helpless in the stands. He knew Lily was headstrong, but he had never imagined she would try to attend the Quidditch match tomorrow in her state.

_You never know, _he thought to himself, _she might have been joking. _

Even as he thought it, he knew he was being optimistic. Annie had looked worried at dinner when she told him and Scorpius knew she wasn't the type to worry over nothing. Lily must have meant business and Scorpius didn't like the thought of that at all.

_I'll visit her early tomorrow and stay with her through the match – give her a bit of company and stop her running off. _He thought as his eyelids began to droop. He gave a great yawn and lay back on his pillows. As long as he got down to the Hospital Wing before the start of the game, everything would be all right.

When Scorpius pushed open the doors of the Hospital Wing the next morning he saw immediately how wrong he had been. Lily's bed was unoccupied, and her shoes were missing. A surge of panic shot through Scorpius and his heart plummeted to somewhere around his navel.

"Bloody hell, Lily." Scorpius muttered as he sprinted from the Hospital towards the Quidditch pitch but as soon as he got out of the castle doors he found his path blocked by the stream of students clutching pieces of toast and cups of hot chocolate making their way towards the pitch ready to watch the day's match. He fought his ways through the hordes, horribly conscious of every passing second as the start of the match drew closer.

By the time he reached the stands they were almost full, and Wood was standing in the centre of the pitch with the trunk of balls looking anxiously at his watch. Scorpius could feel his heart beating like a drum in his chest as he made a final dash towards the changing rooms. As he went to open the door he found himself nose to nose with Cormac McLaggen. For a second, Scorpius panicked as McLaggen's expression darkened and he stepped back immediately, putting some space between him and the burly Quidditch Captain.

"If you're here to see Potter I'm sure it can wait for the duration of the match, Malfoy." He drawled, and it sounded as though he was trying very hard to control himself as he spoke. Scorpius knew he was going to have to tread carefully – he forced his face into an unconvincing grimace and said,

"I know, I know but you know McLaggen, she really shouldn't be out here – that's why I've some down – Madam Patil doesn't know she's not in the Hospital Wing. You know her pretty well from Quidditch and you know how she downplays her injuries and just carries on regardless even when she shouldn't…"

"Thank you for the pep-talk, Malfoy but she's assured me that she's fine, and I believe her. If I were you I'd go and wait in the stands and let the Quidditch Captain worry about Quidditch." McLaggen sneered, and Scorpius felt his face blush red with anger,

"This isn't about Quidditch, McLaggen. This is about Lily and if you want her to…" Scorpius found himself being cut off again – this time by Wood.

"Right, come on you lot – time to get out on the pitch. Mr Malfoy, I would go and find a place in the stands if I were you."

Scorpius opened his mouth to argue, only to find that his lips had been stuck together. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw McLaggen slip his wand back into the pocket of his Quidditch robes. As Wood turned his back on the pair to go into the changing rooms Scorpius pulled his own wand out of his pocket and held it up to McLaggen's face and the warning in his eyes was enough for McLaggen to understand the threat.

For a second there was a flash of panic in McLaggen's eyes before he smirked, and Scorpius felt his whole body seize up as he fell to the floor, unable to move a muscle.

"You always were terrible at duelling, Malfoy." McLaggen said as he dragged Scorpius's frozen body behind a small bush to the side of the changing rooms. "In future, it's best to keep an eye on your opponent's wand hand."

With that, he turned and strutted towards the middle of the pitch as the rest of the team emerged from the changing rooms. He could see only the branches of the bush, but he could hear Annie's voice faintly above the noise of the crowd.

"Are you sure Madam Patil said you could go out?"

"Would I be here if she hadn't? You know what she's like – she can hear a footstep from a mile away!" Lily countered, and Annie made no reply.

Scorpius concentrated all his energy into his limbs but try as he might, he couldn't move an inch. He knew Annie better than to think she had swallowed Lily's story and he wondered why she would go along with it.

To win the match? No, Annie wouldn't let something as trifling as a Quidditch victory put her friend in danger. If Annie was letting her best friend go out on the field it was because she wanted Lily to be telling the truth, and she wanted Lily to have her way. Scorpius's last hope now was that one of the teachers would see Lily and know where she was supposed to be but as he heard Louis Weasley's voice boom out across the pitch he knew that Lily must be up in the air and risking her life with every passing second. This was ten times worse than his nightmare as he lay on his back, completely and utterly helpless as the frost on the ground melted around him. Tears were streaming from his eyes as the cold air hit them, unable to blink as he listened to Louis's Weasley's commentary and prayed that Lily would be all right.

"Well we've got Finnegan of Gryffindor with the Quaffle and she's absolutely pelting down the pitch, narrowly avoids a well hit Bludger from Cadwallader and she's done it! Ten-Zero to Gryffindor, but now we Smith of Hufflepuff in possession, must admit I'm a little surprised at the selection this year, we all know he's a good flyer but better in a Beating role than Chasing I'd say. Smith passes to Cauldwell, Cauldwell heading up the pitch – oh but there's a nice save from McLaggen of Gryffindor! McLaggen passes to Cootes, but that's a skilled interception from Finch-Fletchley, she's been improving every year since we first saw her perform in her second year. She's storming towards the Gryffindor goalposts – PAY ATTENTION MCLAGGEN, and it's a goal for Hufflepuff! Maybe that'll teach McLaggen not be such a conceited pri… Sorry Professor. Cootes with the Quaffle again – oh that has _got_ to hurt – a ruthless Bludger from Weston there…"

_But what about Lily? _Scorpius thought to himself desperately.

_Lily is fine as long as he hasn't said anything. _He reassured himself. _Don't panic – it isn't going to help anyone. _

For an excruciating hour he lay on the cold ground, straining his ears for news of Lily, torn between his need to know she was all right and dread at what he could be about to hear.

"And it's Finch-Fletchley in possession again – she's streaking towards the goalposts with that Quaffle – better watch out McLaggen! Oh I thought that _must _have been a goal but McLaggen is showing us what he's made of now! This is turning into the match of season… Oh Merlin! It appears that Lily Potter has a death wish, she plummeting towards the ground with Goldstein right on her tail."

Scorpius's heart gave a great leap in his chest and once again he strained against the spell that bound him to no avail and he screamed in frustration, making only a tiny sound from behind his frozen lips.

"Oh that's a nasty crash for Goldstein – Potter has clearly inherited her Father's talent for the Wronski Feint and she's employed it with alacrity here. She's shooting back up the pitch now and it looks like she's seen the Snitch. Oh that's a well-aimed Bludger from Cadwallader but that's a well-executed sloth-grip roll to avoid it and she's got the Snitch! That makes a final score of two hundred and forty to Gryffindor and we'll be seeing them in the… LILY!"

Scorpius heard the panic in Louis's voice and understood immediately - he could see it horribly clearly in his mind's eye – Lily was tumbling towards the frozen ground, her hand still clasped around the tiny, fluttering ball.

_**A/N - So what did you think? I really am intrigued to know about this one! Did you love it, did you hate it? Please drop me a review! **_


	22. Waiting to be Well

_**Disclaimer - I do not own the wonderful characters, plot or world of the Harry Potter series. **_

**_A/N - I know I know. It's been another two weeks and yet again I feel terrible for making you wait! I have been in a play though. And I am ill. And I have put off a ton of homework in order to do this for you! Anyhoo, Enjoy! _**

If Lily had been conscious, she would have felt the air whirling around her as she fell, and seen the clouds receding as she hurtled towards the frozen ground; she would have felt herself land heavily in Hugo's arms before being levitated from the pitch, where the spectators were watching with eyes like dinner plates.

If she had been awake, she would have heard the concerned voices of the Headmistress and Professor Longbottom. As it was, Lily could only concentrate on the searing pain running down her left leg and up her spine, concentrating at her hip where it felt like there was a localised inferno. Her vision was black, spotted with bursts of white that hurt her brain and there a loud ringing noise in her ears. It felt as though she was the only person in the world, and her only company was the pain.

Somewhere in the back of her mind, half coherent thoughts buzzed around – to do with Quidditch and Annie and utter recklessness – but she paid them little attention, it was far too much effort to listen to them. Somewhere along the line Lily was conscious of having been placed on something soft, and a freezing cold liquid coursing down her throat and flowing to every corner of her body. It soothed the burning in her limbs, but the pain was by no means gone.

Scorpius could hear the people passing close to him and he struggled with all his might to get himself heard over the crowd. It felt like he was about to explode from trying to shout without opening his mouth when two pairs of small white hands pulled back the branches of the bush and the Scamander twins looked curiously down at him.

"Oh, it's you Scorpius." Lysander said dreamily, "I thought it must have been a Drongler – they make a similar sound. I should have known better really, they prefer a warmer climate. What are you doing down there anyway?"  
Scorpius rolled his eyes in his frozen head and looked to Lorcan, who looked decidedly more worried than his twin.

"I don't think he wants to be lying on the ground, you know – it'll be rather cold. It looks to me like he's been Petrified by a hex. I don't know how to reverse it, but do you want me to try to find someone?"

Scorpius tried to reply the affirmative, but all that came out was a humming sound. Lorcan looked confused for a second before saying,

"I don't know what that means, but if I were you I wouldn't like it down there – I'll go and see if I can find anyone. Sand, you stay here and look after Scorpius."

As Lorcan jogged off into the crowd Lysander turned to Scorpius and remarked,  
"Have you seen any Yulifids down there? They tend to converge around trees and bushes in winter; it's what gives them that sparkling quality."

The small boy looked down at Scorpius keenly – as though he expected him to make some reply, despite his frozen state. For a few seconds he remained silent before Lysander began to hum tunelessly, gazing around seemingly absent mindedly although Scorpius knew there was always _something, _however mental, going on in Lysander's head.

After a surprisingly short space of time, Lorcan came hurrying back with Rose and Albus in tow.

"Hello you two," Lysander greeted them dreamily, "I'm glad Lorcan found you – I think Scorpius must be a little cold."

"Merlin's Beard!" Rose exclaimed when she saw him lying frozen on the ground, "Finite Incantatum!"

Scorpius felt warmth flood through him and he sprang to his feet at once.

"What happened? Have they taken her to the Hospital Wing? Is she going to be all right? Where is McLaggen?"

"Woah, Scorpius. Calm down." Albus exclaimed, "She feinted and fell from her broom, but Hugo caught her. They've taken her to the Hospital Wing. I don't see why she shouldn't be all right – we were just going up there when Lorcan found us. McLaggen's... why do you want to know where McLaggen is?"

"Because I want to shove a bloody Quaffle up his arse." Scorpius cried, feeling his hands ball into fists by his sides.

"Was it him who did this to you?" Rose enquired gently, trying to calm Scorpius's temper.

"He _knew _she was in no state to play, and when I came sprinting down here to stop he what does he do? He curses me and hides me in bush – all to win a bloody Quidditch match. I hope he's bloody happy!" Scorpius raged as he began to stride towards the castle.

"Scorpius!" Rose and Albus yelled as they ran after him, eventually catching up at the great oak doors.

"Don't do anything rash, you'll only get into trouble!" Rose implored him, and Scorpius shook his head.

"Don't worry; I'm not going to get McLaggen. I just need to see Lily." Scorpius told them, carefully making his voice softer so as not to worry them. Nevertheless the pair continued to look at him as though he were about to turn into a Chimera. It took a few moments before Lysander, whom everyone had forgotten was there, spoke up,  
"I think perhaps we had better check on Lily – she might be upset if we don't."

"Well said Lysander." Scorpius agreed and strode purposefully towards the marble staircase that would take him to the Hospital Wing and Lily. He took the stairs three at a time, with Rose, Albus and the twins huffing and puffing behind him. He hammered on the doors of the Hospital Wing for what felt like eternity before it opened and Scorpius was shocked to see Professor Longbottom open it.

"I should have known it was you." He sighed, closing the door behind him. "She'll be all right, but she won't be out for a while – when she did the roll to avoid that last Bludger it caused her hip to shatter so Madam Patil's had to remove her entire bone and re-grow it."

Scorpius ran his hands through his hair, feeling as though he wanted to rip it out.

"I am going to _kill _him... how could he..." Scorpius muttered, forgetting that The Head of Gryffindor as standing beside him.

"Excuse me?" enquired Professor Longbottom, and Scorpius faltered.

"Umm..."

"He's talking about McLaggen, Professor." Lysander piped up, and everyone looked at him, shocked.

"I'm not entirely sure I know what you're referring to Lysander," said the Professor, confused, "would you care to elaborate?"

"Well, I'm sure that the other's won't want me to tell you this since they want to take care of it themselves, but the reason that Lily played at all today was because when Scorpius went to try to stop Lily from going out onto the pitch, McLaggen petrified him and hid him in one of the bushes so he couldn't stop Lily from playing. I imagine Scorpius could have been there a great while if Lorcan and I hadn't found him."

For a second Professor Longbottom was silent, considering what Lysander had told him.

"Well, Lysander, I'm sure you were right to tell me – no matter what the others think about it. Mr McLaggen's actions were reprehensible in the extreme and I will see to it that he is properly punished for it. No buts." He said pointedly, seeing Scorpius begin to protest. Scorpius closed his mouth, not bothering to argue – he had other, more important things to think about.

"All right, but could we please see Lily?" He implored the Professor, who shook his head solemnly.

"Madam Patil has forbidden any visitors but her parents, who are with her now. I might have been able to bend Madam Patil's arm but I am under the impression that you and Lily have not told her parents about... and therefore it might be unwise for you to appear so concerned."  
Scorpius wanted to argue, but he knew Professor Longbottom was right.

"I think it'll probably be best to wait until tomorrow, Scorpius." Albus said quietly, "After all, his daughter's just fallen fifty feet from a broomstick and shattered her hip bone – anything more and he'll probably have mental breakdown."

"I think you may be right, Albus. Try and get a good night's sleep, Scorpius, and we'll see what tomorrow brings." Professor Longbottom smiled as he opened the door and Scorpius caught only a glimpse of two figures with their backs towards him – one with untidy black hair and the other, whose head rested on his shoulder, with a curtain of red flowing down her back – but what drew Scorpius's gaze for that fleeting moment was the pale figure lying in the bed, her flaming hair spattered with mud, looking drawn and pained.

Although part of him was grateful to have seen her – the more dominant part of him knew that that image was going to haunt his dreams until she awoke. Without warning, a wave of resentment passed over Scorpius; he turned his back on the Hospital Doors and marched to the Ravenclaw Common Room. It was buzzing with excitement after the match but Scorpius ignored the seemingly endless crowd of people asking him about Lily and stormed up the stairs to the dormitory, where Connor was sitting reading.

"Why in MERLIN'S NAME does she do this to me?" Scorpius yelled, and Connor dropped his book in alarm.

"Err... what?" He asked, perplexed.

"Why does she have to keep going off and getting herself hurt with reckless stunts – the amount of time I've spent sitting next to a Hospital bed this year is ridiculous! Sometimes I think she genuinely has no idea of how much it hurts me, or her family for that matter, to see her like that." Scorpius raged, pacing up and down the small dormitory, kicking each trunk in turn as he passed it.

"I assume we're talking about Lily here." Connor said, trying to keep the shock out of his voice. He was unused to seeing Scorpius so irate and it disturbed him to see his friend so.

"Of course we're talking about Lily! Who else is so stupidly stubborn and brave and irresponsible to get themselves into these messes?" Scorpius cried, slumping onto his bed in defeat. Connor thought it best to leave him be and picked up his book once more; when he next looked up, Scorpius was fast asleep, fully dressed on the covers. Connor pulled the purple velvet curtains around his friend and went to the bathroom to brush his teeth.

"Lily darling, can you hear me?"  
Her mother's voice filtered through the mist and Lily thought she could see a dim light. Concentrating all her energy, she forced her eyelids open and focused on her mother's face. Ginny's brown eyes were full of worry, and her forehead was wrinkled in a frown.

"Thank Merlin." She breathed as Lily drew a deep breath and looked around. There was a sharp, stabbing pain that spread all across her abdomen and everything was slightly blurry. Lily opened her mouth to try and speak but all that came out was a dry croak.

"Do you want some water, love?" Her mother said softly, and Lily nodded her head infinitesimally. Propping Lily's head up on her arm, Ginny held a cup of water up to her lips and Lily took a small sip. She felt better at once and managed to whisper,

"Thank you."

Her mother kissed Lily's head and smoothed her messy hair out of her face.

"I'm just going to get Madam Patil to let her know you're awake." Ginny said softly before hurrying off and leaving Lily alone with her thoughts. She wondered how long she had been unconscious, and made a mental note to ask if she had the energy, but mostly her mind was occupied by trying desperately to remember whether or not she had actually caught the Snitch. She remembered seeing it hovering high above the centre of the pitch and making a dash towards it, she remembered noticing the Bludger as it pelted towards her and feeling the immeasurable pain as she span upside down on her broom to avoid it and then blackness.

When her mother and nurse finally returned Lily was half sat up in bed and looking furious.

"Why can't I move my hips?" She demanded, and Ginny rolled her eyes at Madam Patil.

"Because Madam Patil had to remove your pelvis and re-grow it after your little Quidditch stunt, that's why." She said as she sat down on Lily's bed.

Lily half opened her mouth to respond before she realised she had no answer, and closed it again.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Madam Patil commented as she measured a large spoonful of Skele-Gro, "Otherwise, how are you supposed to get your pelvis back? Now open wide."

Lily looked at the spoonful warily for a second before opening her mouth and allowing Madam Patil to pour the disgusting liquid down her throat.

Lily coughed and spluttered as she felt it burning her stomach and retched.

"That won't do you any good." Madam Patil said casually, "You need to keep it all down if you want some new bones. Now I suggest going to sleep, it'll be a lot less painful that way."

Lily gave only a weak cry of protest as Madam Patil pushed her back into a lying position and pulled the covers up over her.

"Do try to do what Madam Patil tells you." Ginny implored her daughter, "I know it goes against every fibre of your being but do _try _to be sensible. Oh, and Dad says he hopes you get well soon, and that re-growing bones hurts like hell."

Even as she drifted back towards unconsciousness, Lily rolled her eyes.

"Tell him thanks." She murmured, and Ginny smiled. Only as her mother turned to leave did Lily remember the question that had been plaguing her and asked weakly,

"Did we win?"

"Yes darling, now get some sleep." Ginny chuckled as she tucked the blankets around Lily's sleeping body and turned to leave the Hospital Wing.

Out of the corner of her eye she noticed the door open a crack and a bright blue eye look in, she heard a faint sigh and saw the door shut softly again.

"Poor boy." She muttered before she took a handful of green powder from her pocket, tossing it into the fire of the Hospital Wing, stepped into the flames and disappeared.

The next few days passed as thought they were one long day, broken by sleeping, waking to take more Skele-Gro and sleeping again. Her Dad hadn't been wrong about the pain – it was excruciating – but Lily found that the more she slept, the easier it was to handle and so for three days she got up only to gingerly walk to the toilet and brush her teeth. On the morning of the fourth day Madam Patil pronounced the bone to be fully re-grown and as strong as it would ever be. Lily got up gleefully and pulled on her clothes, anxious to re-join her friends.

"Don't go doing anything silly again!" Madam Patil shouted after her as Lily raced down the Hospital Wing and tore open the door. She had just rounded the corner when she ran headlong into Scorpius who was walking towards the Hospital looking pale and drawn.

"You're awake!" Scorpius exclaimed, a huge smile breaking across his face as she threw her arms around him.

"Yeah – pity you aren't!" Lily joked, pointing to the dark, bruise like circle under Scorpius's eyes.

"I wonder who's to blame for that." Scorpius muttered, and Lily backed away from him, affronted.

"Excuse me?"

"I said I wonder who's to blame." Scorpius repeated angrily, rounding on Lily who stammered for a second.

"Are you implying that this is _my _fault?" She asked, putting her hands on her hips.

"I'm not implying it, I'm stating it." He replied bluntly. "Do you have _any _idea how worried I've been about you? Do you have _any _idea of how it felt to be so powerless watching you risk your life for a bloody _Quidditch match? _It's ridiculous! You know, I've realised that since I've known you I have spent more time in the Hospital Wing than I have in six years of being at this school – and most of that time it wasn't even me who was hurt!"

"Well then, if I'm so much bother maybe you'd be better off without me!" Lily shouted back, her pale face flushed and her eyes seemed to burn with anger. "If you can't deal with the way I am then I'm sorry I ever wasted my time with you!" She turned to storm away but Scorpius grasped her arm and whirled her around to face him.

"For Merlin's sake Lily, there's no need to be so bloody dramatic! Considering the amount of trouble you get yourself into I'm surprised you aren't tired of it. But no, Lily Potter has to not only do something stupid and get herself hurt – causing all of her friends and family to go mad with worry in the process – she then has to berate her boyfriend for being worried about her. Did it ever even cross your mind what you would be putting all of us through if you hurt yourself? Or do you only ever think of yourself?"

"Well perhaps this would be easier for you if you acted more like my boyfriend and less like my mother!" Lily yelled, tearing herself out of Scorpius's grip.

"Just because I'm not your mother doesn't mean I don't still love you!"

The silence seemed to reverberate off the walls as Lily raised her head to look Scorpius in the eye and the enormity of what he'd just said crashed down on him like a ton of bricks – especially as he realised he truly meant it. Every other thought was wiped from his mind, however, when Lily kissed him. He couldn't believe that in the short time they'd been apart he had forgotten exactly how soft her lips were, or how they seemed to fit so perfectly against his. He couldn't believe he'd forgotten the feel of her hands as they slid from where they had been gripping his robes to fasten themselves in their favourite position around his neck. He couldn't believe he'd forgotten how sexy it was when she bit his bottom lip like that…

Lily gasped as Scorpius spun her around to press her against the wall of the corridor. The urgency with which his lips pressed against hers sent a shiver down her spine and she slipped her hands into his hair.

"I'm sorry." Lily whispered as she placed gentle kisses on his neck. Scorpius made no reply but captured her lips again and slid his hand down her thigh, making Lily's heart beat so fast she thought it must be audible. Then, abruptly, he pulled away.

"Sorry." He muttered, raking a hand through his tousled hair. "I don't know what came over me."

"You really don't have to apologise." Lily smiled, slipping her arm around his waist. "Am I forgiven?"

"For what?" Scorpius said, placing a soft kiss on her head as they wandered back down the corridor towards the Great Hall.

_**A/N - I would really like to hear what you thought of this chapter - I know it's quite fragmented but it would have been boring to have a WHOLE chapter on Lily and a WHOLE chapter on Scorpius during this time period. Do you think it works? Also, what did you think of Lily in this chapter? I'm intrigued. **_


	23. Consolation and Confrontations

**_Disclaimer: I DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER, ALL RIGHT?_**

**_A/N - I know I know it's been forever - again! But if it's any consolation, karma got me and I've had an awful Christmas and New Year and it almost killed me to write this. I hope YOU enjoy it though...  
_**

For a reason that Lily could not fathom, Hugo decided it was necessary to throw a party to celebrate Lily's release from the Hospital Wing. As he heaved the last box of Butterbeer through the portrait hole, Hugo wiped his brow and raised an eyebrow at Lily, who was sitting with Annie on the armchairs by the roaring fire.

"You know, this is _your _party. You could help out a bit."

"No Hugo." Lily replied, turning to smile at her cousin, "This is you using me as an excuse to have a party – I'm not going to be used as a dog's body as well."

Hugo gave a dramatic sigh and put his hands on hips – a gesture so reminiscent of his mother that Lily had to make an effort not to laugh.

"The problem with you, Potter, is that you know me too well." He said, shaking his head so his tight brown curls bounced around his face. Perhaps, thought Lily, it was part of why he got away with so much – there was a boyish charm about Hugo that made even the strictest disciplinarians melt at the twinkle in his blue eyes as he peeked through his mop of curly hair.

"It's a good thing too, or I'd end up falling for one of your tricks! I've already had a good ten years of it from James and I don't need it from you as well!" Lily chuckled, sitting back in her armchair to watch Hugo unpack the crates of Butterbeer and food onto the tables scattered about the Common Room.

"I invited Connor and Scorpius by the way, you two." Hugo said with a wink as he opened a bottle of Butterbeer and collapsed onto the sofa. "So you won't be _too _lonely, although I'm still working on a way around the sliding charm on the stairs to the girls' dormitories, so no funny business I'm afraid."

"You're _still _working on that? I'd have thought the idea of Bella being up there would have been incentive enough." Annie giggled, raising her eyebrows suggestively.

"Don't encourage him, Annie!" Lily exclaimed, "If he does work it out, we won't be able to get rid of him!"

"Quite right, Lily." Hugo grinned as Bella floated down the stairs in a rich red dress that fell just above her knees.

"Well, this is a well attended party." She commented as she sat down next to Hugo, who twined his arm around her waist.

"Give it an hour." Hugo told her confidently, and Lily shook her head.

As usual, Hugo was right and within the hour, Metamorphosis was playing loudly and the Gryffindor Common Room was so packed Lily could barely move.

"Miss me?" Came a soft voice behind her, and Lily spun around to see Scorpius grinning at her.

"Of course." Lily replied, giving Scorpius a swift kiss on the lips.

"Then you won't mind a dance." He said, taking her hand and leading her towards the area put aside as the dance floor.

"Scorpius, you know I can't dance." Lily tried to protest as Scorpius put his hands gently on her hips.

"And we know _I_ can, so what's the problem?" He chuckled, and Lily frowned.

"But I feel so self conscious!" She cried, crossing her arms defiantly across her chest. Scorpius shook his head, folding her in his arms and whispering,

"Lily, everyone looks at you all the time – it makes my blood boil – everyone who sees you knows how beautiful you are, and they all look at you. You can breeze through that quite happily all day, so why be self conscious now?"

Lily felt herself blush, and shook her head.

"You know, Malfoy. You really are a soppy idiot sometimes." She smiled eventually, letting her arms rest on his shoulders and allowing him to sway her to the music.

"I know. Now is this really so bad?" Scorpius asked, and Lily shook her head. As the tempo of the music picked up, Lily found herself being spun under Scorpius's arm and almost sent flying across the room, but as he caught her around the waist she found herself forgetting that everyone in the Gryffindor Common Room could see her and laughed until her sides were sore. She stopped abruptly, however, when the portrait of the Fat Lady slammed shut.

McLaggen stood at the portrait hole, covered from head to foot in green slime and looking livid.

"Don't mind me – I've just been clearing out Greenhouse Six and you lot are having a _party." _

"Sorry mate." Said Hugo eventually, shrugging his shoulders. "We just thought we should celebrate Lily getting out of the Hospital Wing."

"Oh don't talk about your cousin right now, Weasley. It's her bloody snitch of an arsehole boyfriend that got me into this." McLaggen growled, and at his words the crowd seemed to part like the red sea to reveal Scorpius standing with Lily in his arms, looking furious.

"I'm sorry if you expected a medal, McLaggen, but I hardly think it's any reason to call me arsehole." Scorpius said quietly, as though he was fighting to keep control.

"What are you doing here?" McLaggen asked aggressively, and Scorpius raised one eyebrow quizzically.

"What does it look like I'm doing? Before you arrived I was dancing with my girlfriend. Is that a problem?"

Lily elbowed Scorpius surreptitiously in the ribs; nothing good would come of taunting McLaggen now.

"Well, as far as I know, Malfoy, you're in Ravenclaw. This is the Gryffindor Common Room; therefore you have no business being here." McLaggen stated, starting to move menacingly towards Scorpius before Hugo cut in,

"I invited him, Cormac. Sorry if you have problem with it but as far as I recall you had Elsie Smith in here not two days ago and _she's _a Ravenclaw..."

"Shut up, Weasley." McLaggen snapped, and Hugo jumped slightly, before remembering that he was a Beater, and though not as tall as McLaggen, could throw a hefty punch. Before he had the chance, however, Ella came storming through the crowds, shouting at the top of her lungs.

"I don't _care _if she was wearing a dragon's eye brooch, Francis. I don't _care _if she was wearing a DRAGON on her bloody brooch you shouldn't have been _looking _at her!"

Francis McLaggen stuttered to try to answer her but it was no use, Ella was in full swing.

"And I _know _it wasn't just innocent because you're always looking at her – don't try to deny it! I should've said "no" when you asked me to the Ball and let you take _her _instead since that's _clearly _what you would have preferred. I HATE you, Francis McLaggen, and I don't ever want to see your face again!"

With that she ran, sobbing hysterically from the room, closely followed by Bella and Annie, leaving Francis looking sheepish and Tessa Peakes looking flushed and more than a little embarrassed.

Lily looked up at Scorpius and whispered,  
"I think now is a good time for a swift exit."

"Perhaps you're right." Scorpius agreed, and with a quick kiss he slipped out of the portrait hole, closely followed by Connor.

As she rushed up the stairs to the dormitories, Lily had to admit that Ella was absolutely brilliant sometimes. She felt a twinge of guilt that she had benefitted from Ella's pain, but she knew her friend well enough that she felt sure Ella would have someone new to fawn over by the end of the week. She glanced behind her to see McLaggen glance around for a second before marching up to his dormitory.

When Lily reached her dormitory, the sight was chaos. Ella had evidently upturned her bed and there were blankets and pillows everywhere, with Ella sitting in the middle of her four-poster bed, crying into a large handkerchief. Lily rushed over to perch on the edge of the bed with the others.

"I _knew... _I just _knew _he fancied her... always leering at her... only a third year..." Ella's speech was barely understandable through her sobs, and all the others could do was rub her back soothingly and whisper,

"Shh... it'll be all right."

When eventually Ella was together enough to let the others pull the blankets over her, she went to sleep immediately and they slipped down the stairs to rejoin the party.

"She all right?" Hugo asked as the group descended the stairs.

"She'll live." Lily replied, "How's Francis coping?"

"Well, I would have felt sorry for the bloke if I hadn't caught him snogging Tessa Peakes about five minutes ago."

"Git." Lily muttered, and Hugo nodded his agreement.

The rest of the evening passed far too slowly for Lily, she danced with Annie and Bella for a while, and chatted with Esme Cootes about the latest match between the Harpies and the Canons. When she looked at her watch after what felt like an eternity she found that it was only eleven o'clock and, knowing Hugo, this was a party that wouldn't finish until Professor Longbottom came to break it up in the early hours of the morning.

With the muttered excuse that Ella might need her, Lily slumped up the stairs to the dormitory and sank into her bed, exhausted. When she awoke the following morning, there was dead silence in the dormitory. The clock on her bedside read ten past nine, and Lily was shocked that she had woken so early but with no hope of getting back to sleep she dressed quietly and slipped downstairs to breakfast. She chuckled as she entered to see that three out of four of the House tables were relatively full, but Gryffindor was deserted but for a few solitary first years. She sat down beside Lorcan and piled toast and scrambled eggs onto her plate.

"You're up early." Lorcan commented, and Lily nodded.

"I'm as surprised as you, Lorcan. Although it looks like the rest of the house has... other ideas."

"You mean they're all hung over." Lorcan said, and Lily gasped.

"Lorcan! How do you know about things like that?"

"I'm twelve, Lily. I've seen my fair share of drunkenness – when Grandpa's been drinking his own Gurdyroot wine we don't usually hear from him for a good few days afterwards." Lorcan informed her, and Lily could find no better reply than,

"Oh."

They ate in silence for a while before Connor and Scorpius entered the Hall. Instead of going to their own House table, they sat down next to Lily and Connor helped himself to sausages.

"Look who's awake." Scorpius grinned, and Lily giggled.

"The early bird catches the scrambled eggs." She replied, gesturing to the plate before her.

"Right and I suppose the rest of your house are..."

"Nursing their headaches." Lily finished for him, and Scorpius nodded.

They both jumped when they heard Professor Longbottom's voice,

"Ah, Miss Potter, I was wondering if you would do me a favour?"

"Of course – what is it?" Lily asked.

"Could you put this up in the Gryffindor Common Room for me? I would usually ask a Prefect but it seems the rest of your House are indisposed." He handed Lily a piece of parchment, on which was written,

_ATTENTION: All of those in the third year and above will be permitted to visit Hogsmeade next weekend. Please note that all students may not leave before 11 am and must be back in the castle by 6 pm. _

A wide grin spread across Lily's face as she read the notice, she'd been waiting for an excuse to get out of the castle – since the attack, the castle's once friendly walls seemed like the walls of a prison cell.

"Oh, and would Mr Malfoy be so kind as to do the same for his own House?" The Professor said turning to Scorpius, who was reading over Lily's shoulder.

"Certainly, Professor." He replied, pocketing the parchment.

"Lily, now I know you won't receive this well, but I would strongly advise against a trip into Hogsmeade this weekend."

"But Professor..."

"I'm sorry, Lily, but we have your safety to consider. Now I'm not saying that it would be easy for Mr Zabini and his friends to get into Hogsmeade, but they got into this castle and I don't want to take any risks."

Lily hung her head,  
"Yes, Professor." She said glumly, and Professor Longbottom nodded before returning to the Staff Table.

"Don't worry, Lily. I'll have loads of work to do next weekend; I'll stay with you if you like." Scorpius offered, but when Lily raised her head, she was grinning broadly.

"I don't think there's any need for that."

The week seemed to pass excruciatingly slowly for Lily, but when Saturday morning finally dawned bright and clear. Lily made her way to breakfast trying not to look excited. As soon as the others had begun to leave the Great Hall, Lily slipped out and up the flights of marble stairs to the statue of the one eyed witch. She'd wanted to try out the secret passageway ever since had told her about it in her second year. She tapped the witch's hump with her wand and jumped into the tunnel. It was longer than she had expected, and when she finally emerged in the cellar of Honeydukes she made a dash up the stairs and was thankful that the shop was full of students and no-one noticed her slipping through the door.  
Annie, Connor and Scorpius were looking worried as they waited outside the shop. They let out a simultaneous sigh of relief as Lily came out into the street.

Scorpius smiled as Lily slipped her hand into his, but Lily could see he was worried.

"Are you sure this is a good idea?" He whispered, frowning as he looked up and down the busy road.

"Yes. You sound like Professor Longbottom." Lily teased.

"All right – where do we want to go? The Three Broomsticks?" Annie interrupted, and Connor nodded in approval.

"Do we have to?" Lily moaned. "I want to be _outside_. Can't we go to the Shrieking Shack?"

"Why don't you two go to the Shack, and we'll meet you in the Three Broomsticks." Connor suggested, and the group parted.

"Even after six years, it still creeps me out." Scorpius confessed as they stood before the Shack, and Lily couldn't suppress a giggle.

"I hate to spoil your fun, but it isn't really haunted."

"What are you talking about? It's the most haunted building in Britain!" Scorpius exclaimed, but Lily only shook her head.

"Nope. That rumour was put by about by Dumbledore when Teddy's dad was at Hogwarts to explain all the strange sounds. Dad only told me because he brought me here once when I was small and I was so frightened because of what James had told me about it that I wouldn't take one step out of the Three Broomsticks." Lily explained, and Scorpius chuckled.

"Well, don't I feel like an idiot."

"You look like one, too." Came a voice form behind them, and Scorpius whirled around to see Zabini, Flint, Nott and Goyle standing in menacing crescent behind them.

"Well, aren't we grown up? It's no wonder Daddy's trusting you with the big ol' job of taking down a little girl." Lily replied, and Scorpius felt his heart sink.

"Shut it, Potter!" Goyle yelled, and a jet of red light barely missed Lily's ear. Before Goyle even knew what had hit him, Scorpius had hit him with a stunning spell and he toppled over.

"Protego!" Lily screamed as Zabini shot a stream of purple light at Scorpius.

Neither Lily nor Scorpius fully registered what they were doing as they sent spell after spell at the Slytherins. They barely noticed as two figures approached the spot and the Slytherins began to retreat towards the body of Goyle. Zabini leapt out of the way of a curse, grabbed Goyle's body and Disapparated.

Lily and Scorpius didn't even have time to catch their breath before Annie and Connor came running towards them.

"What was _that_?" Connor yelled, looking from one terrified face to the other.

"Slytherins... attacked... gone now... need to get back..." Scorpius panted, and Annie gasped.

"It's fine, Annie. We aren't hurt." Lily reassured her.

"Get back to the castle, we'll catch you up." Scorpius told them, and Annie looked as if she was about to say something, but Connor took her hand and lead her away.

Almost as soon as they were out of sight, Scorpius turned to Lily,

"You are all right? Not hurt at all?"

"Scorpius I'm fi.." Lily began, only to find herself cut off by Scorpius kissing her. His lips pressed urgently against hers and he pulled her close against his body so that she could feel his heart beating fast in time with her own. His hand tangled roughly in her hair as he deepened the kiss and when they finally broke apart, breathing heavily, Scorpius whispered,

"For a second there I had a horrible thought that I might lose you."

"Whatever would make you think that?" Lily smiled and Scorpius felt a great swell in his chest, but even as the pair walked together back towards the castle Scorpius couldn't suppress the feeling that the danger was nowhere near past.

**_A/N - Reviews will make me feel better! And if I feel better then I will be more willing to write! _**


	24. Bowtruckles and Broomsticks

**_Disclaimer - Nope, don't own Harry Potter._**

**_A/N - That's it, I have reached a new low. I really am a terrible updater, and I apologise profusely for the wait. There is plethora of excellent reasons for my not updating, but I won't bother you with them. I imagine you want to get reading! I hope it's worth the wait...  
_**

_MASS BREAKOUT FROM AZKABAN _

_For the first time since the Second War, there has been a mass breakout from Azkaban prison. At approximately two thirty this morning, prisoners Gregory Goyle, Theodore Nott and Marcus Flint made their escape from the island fortress – they are believed to have had outside help. The Aurors on duty at the prison during the breakout have been taken for questioning whilst the cells of the escapees are being searched. _

"Bloody Hell." Connor breathed.

"Took the words right out of my mouth."

Scorpius stared at the newspaper in front of him, reading the headline over and over again just to be sure he hadn't misread it. Only after reading it a dozen times did Scorpius remember that there were other people in the Hall. Up and down the House tables, copies of _The Daily Prophet _were being passed around by students. At the staff table, Professors McGonagall and Longbottom were speaking in hushed voices, their heads close together, bent over a copy of the newspaper. Scorpius's attention, though, was grabbed by the Gryffindor Table, where Lily was sitting – white as a ghost – staring blankly down at the paper in her hands. Scorpius made not conscious decision to go to her, but suddenly he held her in his arms and was surprised to find that she was shaking violently.

"Shh, shh. It'll be all right." Scorpius whispered into her hair.

"Why can't they just leave us alone?" She sighed, burying her face into the front of his robes.

"Because they're bastards." Scorpius replied simply, and was rewarded by a single laugh from Lily. "Try not to think about it, though. I know it's hard, but worry about it won't help. At least you'll have something to take your mind off it tonight."

"What?"

"You have detention with Slughorn tonight, remember?" Scorpius said, and Lily's eyes widened in shock before she shook her head.

"Of course. My mind's just so… boggled. I need to clear it out." She explained sheepishly.

"Don't worry about it. Do you want to get some air?"

"Yes, please." Lily replied and let him lead her out of the Hall.

Once outside, Lily let out a deep breath and looked up at the clear sky. It felt strange to her to be looking forward to detention. She had already endured three weeks of it after her Hogsmeade escapade, and there would be another two months to serve before Professor Longbottom deemed her suitably punished. Lily could never remember a time when he had been more angry.

"_What in the name of Merlin did you think you were doing?" The Professor shouted as he paced his office frantically, "You think you can wander about wherever you like when there are dangerous wizards after your blood? I never thought you that arrogant, Lily."  
_

_Neville was shaking from head to toe, his face white as the Bloody Baron and his lips pressed tightly together as he drew a deep breath in. Lily felt a pang of guilt and wished – not for the first time – that she hadn't been so rash.  
_

_"I'm so –"  
_

_"I promised your parents when they made me your godfather that I would protect you. How, Lily, am I supposed to do that when I can't even keep track of where you are? If you will insist on gallivanting about in this ridiculous fashion they will catch up with you and I will never be able to live with myself."  
_

_"I'm sorry, Professor." Lily whispered, tears gathering on her eyelashes. Neville sighed and put his arms around her.  
_

_"It's all right, Lily. I'm not really angry with you; it just makes me livid to know that people like those Slytherins still exist after all we went through in the war. After everything we lost, everything we suffered, this, this evil remains to destroy everything all over again. I'm sorry, Lily. Just, try to stay out of trouble, please?" He sighed. Lily simply nodded and slipped out of the door, leaving her Professor and Godfather with his head in his hands. _

Lily looked towards the imposing metal gates separating the school grounds from the outside world and for the first time since her narrow escape in the Forest, they seemed comforting and strong, shielding her from danger.

"Lily?" The soft voice made her jump but she smiled when she saw Scorpius standing just behind her. "We have to go to lessons now." He smiled, and Lily gasped.

"Oh yes! Sorry, I was miles away. I need..."

"This?" Scorpius smirked, holding up her bag. Lily grabbed it and grinned at Scorpius before placing a chaste kiss on his lips.

"What would I do without you?" She giggled as she ran through the Entrance Hall and down towards the Transfiguration classroom.

Lily had only just collapsed into her seat beside Annie when Professor Victis swept into the room. Her high spirits were dampened immediately as he began to write the lesson's work on the blackboard. They would be changing cockroaches into brooches – a difficult charm to work at the best of times, let alone when the subject would not cease its scuttling attempts to get away. Halfway through the lesson there was a great shout as Francis McLaggen stared down at his jewel encrusted fingers.

"I thought it would have been a given that you wouldn't be idiotic enough to try to hold the insects in place." Professor Victis snapped, "Ironically enough, that's some rather good spell work, McLaggen, I'm almost sad to have to restore your fingers to their usual state." He said with a flick of his wand. McLaggen stared in awe as the rubies that had been embedded in his fingers became smaller and smaller, disappearing into the swirls of his fingerprints.

The rest of the lesson was sadly uneventful, only Bella succeeded in transforming her cockroach into a delicate garnet encrusted brooch and earned Gryffindor twenty points. By the time they reached Hagrid's Hut for Care of Magical Creatures the Hufflepuffs were already there and broken off into partners and were attempting to coax invisible creatures out of several potted trees.

"Come on now, Gryffindors! Get yerselves into pairs and pick a tree. We're gonna be removin' Bowtruckles from their trees today. Before you start, who can tell me why you migh' need ter take a Bowtruckle outa its tree?"

There was a moment of silence before Hugo raised an uncertain hand.

"Isn't it something to do with wand wood?" He asked tentatively, and Hagrid beamed.

"Five points ter Gryffindor, well done Hugo. Bowtruckles often inhabit trees that wizards use fer wand makin'. Now, yer Bowtruckle'll want ter go back into its tree after the wood's been taken. The Bowtruckle is now a protected species because so many unscrupulous wand makers have been killin' the Bowtruckles to get at the wood." He explained, "Now off ye go, and mind you don't let 'em get their claws too near yer face – they tend to go fer the eyes."

Lily and Annie threw down their bags next to one of the larger trees and peered up into the branches.

"Right, we're looking for a thin creature, about six inches tall, that looks like it's made from twigs and is probably glaring at us." Annie said, her copy of "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find them" open on her lap. After scanning the branches for a few minutes Lily caught sight of something moving in the upper branches. It was thin and brown and had what looked like extremely sharp claws.

"Look, up there!" Lily whispered, pointing to where the Bowtruckle was standing completely still against one of the branches.

"Where?" Annie whispered back straining to get the right angle.

"There." Lily said, reaching up to give the Bowtruckle a little prod and found several sharp claws embedded in her finger. She gasped and snatched her hand away, putting the abused finger into her mouth.

"Clever." Hugo snorted from the tree next to them. His own Bowtruckle was dancing happily down his arm.

"We don't all have your way with animals, Master Weasley." Lily replied tartly, and Hugo shrugged.

"You seem to deal with McLaggen pretty well."

Lily rolled her eyes and looked back up into the tree – the Bowtruckle had vanished from view.

"Maybe we need to try a gentler approach. What does it eat?" Lily said eventually.

"Woodlice." Annie replied, putting her book down and picking up a large rock lying close to the tree. She flipped it over to reveal the tiny creatures scuttling all over the damp, earthy stone.

"You are a genius." Lily grinned as she picked up a couple of the small creatures and put them in the centre of her hand. Slowly, she raised her arm into the branches of the tree and jumped slightly as she felt something jump onto her hand. She carefully brought her hand back out from within the foliage to reveal the Bowtruckle sitting happily on her hand, gulping down the little insects.

"Well done you two!" Hagrid said, clapping Annie and Lily on the back, nearly causing the Bowtruckle to topple of its perch. "Off you go to Lunch, then. You'll get there ahead of the crowds."

"Thanks Hagrid!" They chorused, and Lily placed the Bowtruckle gently back into its hiding place before running back up to the castle after Annie.

All too soon Lily was walking down to the dungeons for her detention with Professor Slughorn. It could have been worse – she could have had three months of Victis – but cleaning out the Potions store still wasn't her favourite way to spend an evening. Luckily for Lily, Professor Slughorn was anxious to relax in his office that evening, and Lily was excused after only an hour of scrubbing Bubotuber pus out of ancient jars. She wandered up to the Gryffindor dormitories and slumped down next to Hugo on one of the comfortable sofas.

"What have I missed?" She enquired, picking up a chocolate frog form the pile in the middle of the table.

"Nothing much," Hugo replied absently, "we've all been hard at work on that essay about Goblin Wars in the eighteenth century for Binns."

Lily groaned; she had forgotten all about that essay.

"Is it in tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow's Saturday, Lily." Annie reminded her, hastily crossing out a mistake on her parchment.

"So why are we doing it now?"

"Quidditch practice tomorrow, dear." Annie replied, shaking her head.

"Oh. Yeah."

Lily grudgingly pulled her quill and parchment from her bag and began to write. It was nearly on in the morning before Lily dragged herself up the stairs to the dormitories and fell asleep.

Less than nine hours later she and the rest of the Gryffindor Quidditch team were standing in the freezing wind listening to McLaggen explain their new tactics and training routine.

"I'm going to assume that since there are no questions, that you all understand perfectly what to do." McLaggen shouted, waking the rest of the team from their daydreams.

"Yes sir!" Hugo shouted back with an outrageous salute.

"That's more like it. Now, get yourselves into the air, I want to see you all do ten laps, taking a shot at goal with each cycle. You get an extra lap for each time you miss."

"That's ridiculous, Cormac. We're Beaters and Lily's Seeking, we're not supposed to be able to..." Ben tried to protest, but found himself cut off by their irritable Captain.

"Do you want me to make it twenty? No? Good. Now get going!"

Six pairs of furious eyes fixed on McLaggen for a second before the team pushed off from the ground and into the air. For a few seconds Lily just enjoyed the thrill of flying, doing a couple of somersaults before dashing after the others. Thankfully, she managed to get her first five goals into the hoops with ease and was poised to make her sixth shot at goal when her broom gave a shudder beneath her, causing her arm to fly in a twisted arc as she made to steady herself. The Quaffle flew straight through the gap between the centre and right hoops and Lily groaned.

"Abysmal, Potter – round again." She heard McLaggen shout and made a rude hand gesture at him before shooting off to circle the pitch once more. She was about half way round when her broom gave another great shudder and she tapped the front of the handle gently.

"Stop it." She said sharply, and Annie giggled as she flew past.

"You know, talking to your broomstick is often the first sign of madness."

"You're past that stage, then. I've seen you chatting away to your essays!" Lily shouted after her. She flew around the far goalposts and back towards Hugo, who threw her the Quaffle after his sixth miss. Lily lined up, just about to hurl the Quaffle through the middle goal when her broom gave the most violent lurch yet and she dropped the ball as she gripped the broomstick with both hands to ensure she stayed airborne.

"What are you playing at, Potter?" McLaggen yelled, "Try again."

"I can't!" Lily cried, still holding onto her broom for dear life as it shuddered uncontrollably. "There's something wrong with my broom, it won't stop shaking."

"Get down here and get one of the school ones then. We haven't got all day."

Lily tried to do as he said, but the broom wouldn't move an inch from it hovered, trembling violently and threatening to throw her off. Lily's heart began to race. McLaggen was shouting angrily at her from the ground and her team-mates were asking her countless questions as the wood began to grow hot beneath her hands and the shuddering and jerking increased. Her hands slipped from the handle just as there was an enormous crack and the broomstick exploded, sending splinters in every direction. Lily didn't notice the screams of her friends as she felt the all too familiar experience of freefalling through the air towards the hard ground. Suddenly, miraculously, she felt herself slow and land softly in a pair of male arms briefly before being placed on her feet.

"You all right?" McLaggen asked gruffly, adjusting his Quidditch robes.

"Fine, I think. Suppose I'll need a new broom though." Lily replied; her voice barely more than a whisper.

"Do you want to go to the Hospital Wing?"

"What for?"

"Lily..." McLaggen gestured to Lily's arm, where several small fragments of her broomstick were deeply embedded.

"Oh." Was all that Lily could get out; she looked from the splinters and back to McLaggen in confusion. "I suppose I'd better go to the Hospital Wing then."

"I'll come with you." McLaggen said, taking her gently by her uninjured arm and helping her off the pitch, shouting to the others to take a break until he returned.

The pair walked in a somewhat awkward silence towards the castle, McLaggen supporting Lily who walked on shaking legs towards the Hospital Wing. When he eventually handed her over to Madam Patil, who looked only mildly shocked to see them, McLaggen felt a soft hand on his shoulder.

"Thank you for saving me, Cormac."

Lily thought she saw a pink tint flush his cheeks as he muttered,  
"Well, I wasn't exactly going to let you die was I?"

**_A/N - I know I don't deserve them, but reviews do make me very happy! _**


	25. News and Nostalgia

**_Disclaimer: You know the drill._**

**_A/N - Once again,my sincerest apologies for the lack of updating. words cannot describe how hectic life has been. Plus, I've recently been more in the mood for writing angsty songs than this lighthearted story. (Incidentally, if you want to listen to those there is a link on my profile). _**

"What is a square circle?"

"Well I don't bloody know, do I?"

Of all the people Scorpius expected to be attempting to break into the Ravenclaw Common Room, Cormac McLaggen was the last on his list.

"Anything me can help you with?" he asked coldly, and McLaggen gave a start.

"Oh, it's you, Malfoy. I've been looking for you" he said, and Scorpius was shocked to see that McLaggen actually looked nervous. Scorpius raised a questioning eyebrow but he already had a horrible feeling he already knew why McLaggen was there.

"It's Lily. Something went wrong with her broom and she's in the Hospital Wing. I thought you should probably know. She's all right," he added quickly, "nothing Madam Patil can't fix. I just thought you'd want to… y'know."

"Oh… yeah… thanks McLaggen… that's really decent of you." Scorpius stuttered.

"She's probably still awake, so Patil won't mind you…" McLaggen tailed off into a gruff cough and nodded to Scorpius before he walked briskly away. Strange though this behaviour undoubtedly was, Scorpius only allowed himself a couple of seconds of confusion before he set off towards the Hospital Wing.

Madam Patil smiled when she opened the door to Scorpius.

"I wondered how long it would take you. Come on – she's all right."

She led him over to where Lily was sitting propped up against a tower of feather pillows. He let out an internal sigh of relief when he saw she was smiling, and shook his head as he sat down beside her.

"What have you done now?"

"My broom decided that staying in one piece was just too boring, so it exploded" she explained with a casual shrug of her shoulders. "Nothing out of the ordinary."

"Do you it think it was them?" Scorpius asked, lowering his voice to just above a whisper.

"I've been thinking about that – it seems very uncharacteristic of them. If they were in the grounds then they would have taken the opportunity to attack me themselves. Besides, with all these security measures in place they can't have got in, can they?"

"No, I don't think they could have. They did get into Hogsmeade, though. There were tons of students there – it would have been easy for them to put the Imperius Curse on one of them" Scorpius mused, and Lily gasped.

"Of course! Why didn't I think of that?" she exclaimed, "They seem skilled enough – but wouldn't it have been noticed if someone as under the Imperius Curse?"

There was no time for Scorpius to make any reply before the doors of the Hospital Wing burst open and Lisa Corner came running in, eyes frantically darting about the ward. When she saw Lily sitting in her bed she burst into floods of tears.

"Whatever is the matter, Miss Corner?" Madam Patil cried, running out of her office as Lisa sobbed.

"I'm so sorry, Lily! They said… they said my family…" the rest of her sentence was lost in another wave of hysterical sobs as the girl sank onto one of the beds and buried her face in her hands.

"Mr Malfoy, would you be so kind as to fetch the Headmistress and Professor Weatherstone, please?" Madam Patil said, and Scorpius nodded quickly and dashed from the room towards Professor McGonagall's office. He arrived panting in front of the statue guarding the entrance to her office and gave the password, "Tartan".

"What in Merlin's name has happened now, Mr Malfoy?" Professor McGonagall sighed as Scorpius burst into her office.

"Lily's… broom exploded… Hospital Wing… Lisa… Zabini… Madam Patil said to get Professor Weatherstone..." Scorpius gasped, and the Headmistress nodded. She threw a handful of Floo Powder into the roaring fire and called,

"Amelia! Padma has called both of us to the Hospital Wing – something about Lily Potter and a broomstick."

"On my way!" came the reply from the flames, and Professor McGonagall smiled at Scorpius.

"Shall we?"

Scorpius nodded and he and the Headmistress strode from the room. By the time they reached the Hospital Wing, Professor Weatherstone was waiting with Lisa and Scorpius had filled McGonagall in with as much as he knew about the incident.

"You know, Scorpius, I'm actually starting to get very bored of all this plotting to kill me lark." Lily commented lightly as he perched on the edge of her bed.

"Couldn't agree more." Scorpius smiled taking her hand as all eyes in the room turned to Lisa, whose sobs had subsided to small sniffs.

"Lisa, no I know you probably would rather not talk about it, but we need to know exactly what happened." Professor Weatherstone said softly, handing Lisa yet another tissue. Lisa nodded, blew her nose and sat up on the bed. She took a great shuddering breath before beginning,

"Last Hogsmeade weekend I was in the Three Broomsticks just talking with my friends, when an argument broke out somewhere else in the bar. The flashes of all the spells and the noise brought on a headache, so I decided to step outside for a few minutes to get some fresh air. I don't know what happened when I stepped outside, but suddenly I was in the woods next to the Shrieking Shack. Zabini was there, he told me… he told me that I had to put a curse on your broom. No-one would think it was suspicious if I went into the broom shed, you see. Of course I refused at first, but then they said that if I didn't… they would go to my family and… my brother's only five and I couldn't… I couldn't say no!" Lisa dissolved into fresh floods of tears and Lily rose to put her arms around her, ignoring Madam Patil's tuts of protest.

"I'm so sorry, Lily. I didn't mean to, they said they'd kill him."

"Shh, it's all right. I know, I know. I don't blame you, and it's all right now – I didn't die so you have nothing to feel guilty about. We can get protection for your family until they've been captured, can't we?"

Lily looked to Professor McGonagall, who nodded in agreement.

"There's no need to worry, Miss Corner. We can contact the Auror office and arrange for someone to watch over your family. Now, if you don't mind, Madam Patil has some questions she'd like to ask you about the curse the Slytherins asked you to put on Lily's broom – just to ascertain that there is nothing more she should be worried about with regard to Lily's arm."

Lisa allowed Madam Patil to lead her into the nurse's office, leaving Lily and Scorpius with the Professors. There was a moment of silence before Lily suddenly piped up,

"How did you know I was here, Scorpius? Only the Quidditch team were there."

"McLaggen told me – he came to my Common Room." Scorpius said, "He was pretty pleasant, actually. It was weird."

"He must have gone down there after he dropped me off here. I wonder what possibly could have come over him." Lily giggled, and Scorpius shrugged.

"There are some mysteries that may never be solved. How Cormac McLaggen found his humanity is one of them."

Out of the corner of her eye, Lily saw Professor McGonagall suppress a grin. Within a few minutes, Madam Patil returned with a red-eyed Lisa and began to remove the bandages from around Lily's arm.

"Miss Corner has told me all she knows about the curse and I don't believe these splinters will have any long term effects." she said, dabbing a pale blue potion onto the cuts on Lily's exposed arm, "As long as you keep this covered up you should be right as rain in a few days. Off you go, then. I expect I'll be seeing you again soon." Madam Patil waved her wand to fasten the bandage with a roll of her dark eyes and turned to Lisa, who was still sniffing quietly.

With a quick glance across at Scorpius, Lily sprang from the bed and made for the door with a smile and a "Thank you" to Madam Patil.

"Merlin, Lily! You practically apparated out of there." Scorpius chuckled as he was dragged through the doors of the Hospital Wing and out into the corridor.

"I had to get out before she changed her mind and I had to spend yet another night there." Lily explained, winding her arm around Scorpius's waist and leading him down the marble stairs towards the great Hall. "Come on, I'm starving."

As the pair walked into the Great Hall, there was a shriek from the Gryffindor table and Rose Weasley came sprinting towards them.

"Oh thank Merlin you're all right, Lily! Hugo told me what happened with your broom and I thought you'd…"

"Calm down, silly. Look, I'm fine. Madam Patil stitched me up in no time." Lily laughed, allowing herself to be caught up in Rose's embrace.

"I'll see you later." Scorpius said softly, placing a kiss on Lily's head before crossing the hall towards the Ravenclaw table where Connor sat waiting.

"So what happened?" Rose whispered as she and Lily sat down next to Hugo, Albus, Annie and the twins. Lily cast a furtive glance around the table to see that every pair of ears was straining to hear their conversation.

"I'll tell you later." She assured them, helping herself to mashed potatoes.

Later, when the group were comfortably settled in the armchairs by the fire, the rest of the House have retired to bed, Lily recounted her tale.

"But please don't tell anyone – I couldn't stand for Lisa to be persecuted for it. I don't know what I would have done in her position."  
The others nodded in agreement,  
"Poor girl," Rose sighed, "she's the last person who would have done something like this."

A moment of silence followed this last comment, broken by a gentle tapping at the window.

"Mad-Eye?" Hugo exclaimed, rising to open the window and let the Weasleys' aged owl flutter in. His fathers were ruffled and his eyes (one a bright orange, the other a strange, piercing yellow-green) surveyed the room mistrustfully.

"What are you doing here, boy?" Rose asked, untying the note attached to leg Mad-Eye stuck out.

She unrolled the parchment and the group watched her eyes scan it before she raised her hand to her mouth with an excited squeak.

"What is it?" Hugo asked, and Rose made no reply, passing him the note wordlessly. He too scanned the parchment and gave a great laugh.

"Mum's had the baby!" he cried, and the rest of the group rose as one to crowd around him. "It's a girl, and they're naming her Ruby – for Hagrid."

"Oh, how lovely! He'll be so pleased." Lily said.

"We should go down tomorrow and tell him." Rose decided, and Hugo, Lily and Albus nodded in agreement. "But now I think we should all get some rest. It's been trying day." Her mother's slightly bossy tone returned and the younger ones knew there would be no getting around her.

"See you tomorrow, then." Albus said as he and Hugo climbed the stairs to the boys' dormitories.

"See you tomorrow." The girls chorused.

As Lily laid her head on her pillow, she knew she would get little sleep. Her mind was still whirring at one hundred miles per hour. Lily Potter was worried. Although she'd succeeded in brushing off this latest attempt on her life, it grated on her. The knowledge that they'd used her friends against her and that they had succeeded in coming close enough to kill her for a third time frightened her. Hogwarts had always seemed a safe haven but Zabini, Nott, Flint and Goyle seemed to have infiltrated it again and again with ease. When she eventually drifted into a fitful sleep it was almost three, and her dreams were far from restful. When Lily eventually rose and went down to breakfast on Sunday morning it was to find the Hall nearly empty – Rose, Hugo, Al and Scorpius were sitting at the Gryffindor table waiting for her.

"Finally. We've been down here an hour and a half!" Hugo teased as Lily sat down between him and Scorpius,

"I didn't sleep well." Lily said, trying to appear nonchalant as she picked a piece of toast from the rack and began to butter it. The others seemed fooled but as Lily felt Scorpius stroke his thumb gently across her leg she felt comforted knowing that he understood. The soft sound of beating wings caused Lily to look towards the great windows of the hall, where Archie was soaring towards them. He landed with a soft thump on the table before her and stuck out his leg for her to untie the letter that was tied to it.

_My Darling Lily, _

_Neville wrote last night to tell us about your latest adventure – needless to say your father and I are both pleased and worried in equal measure. I hope with all my heart that you can manage to stay out of trouble for a just a few days before we see you again!  
Considering that it is nearly your birthday, I was wondering if you were thinking about having a party of some sort during the holidays? It might be a good opportunity to introduce Dad to Scorpius… Just a suggestion my dear. Send Archie back with your preferred date and we'll have everything ready for you when you come home. _

_Love,  
Mum_

_P.S. Your father has sorted everything out concerning the protection of the Corners. He and a few others will be on watch to protect them until Zabini and co. have been arrested. _

Lily smiled at the letter from her mother – much though she loved Hogwarts she did miss her parents. Scribbling a hasty reply on the back of the note, telling Ginny that she really was all right, would love to have a party on her Birthday and that she was thankful to Harry for helping her friend. She signed the note and sent Archie off again before getting up from the table.

"We off to Hagrid's then?" She asked, and her family nodded as they rose from the table.

"I'll leave you lot to it." Scorpius said, "I've got a couple of other things to be getting on with."

"All right then." Lily replied, standing on her tiptoes to give Scorpius a swift peck on the lips. "I'll see you later."

Tea with Hagrid always made Lily wish she spent more time in the little cabin. The old giant had tears in his eyes when Rose told him the news, and urged them to eat more of the treacle toffee he had made. When they'd managed to unstick their jaws, the time was spent reminiscing about their many childhood adventures. Lily sighed as the others laughed at the memory of Hugo running about with a stick twice as long as his arm; locked in battle with an army of invisible Death Eaters. The happy children they had been had no idea of the real dangers they would face; Lily remembered dreaming of being able to fight – to prove herself to her older brothers and parents – and the phrase "be careful what you wish for" had never seemed more apt.

**_A/N - Hope you've enjoyed my latest. There will be more action coming soon - including Scorpius meeting the family! Please do review and tell me what you think... even if it's just to chastise me for my lack of updates. _**


	26. A Birthday

**_Disclaimer: I don;t own Harry. Ginny does. _**

**_A/N - I just wanted to get you all a nice quick update - and here it is! The moment you've all been waiting for. I hope I don't disappoint, but I wanted to give what I think would be a truthful picture of Harry's reaction to Scorpius. Hope you like it...  
_**

The last few days of the term seemed to drag for Lily, but eventually the students were standing on the platform of Hogsmeade Station with the scarlet steam engine before them. Eventually, a compartment was found and Lily, Scorpius, Annie, Connor and the twins had seated themselves comfortably as they waited for the train to depart. With the warm light streaming in through the window and the happy sounds of teenagers bustling up and down the train it was easy for Lily to be hopeful. A happy silence fell on the little compartment as the train flew through the Scottish countryside and Lily rested her head on Scorpius's shoulder. Her mind wandered as she watched the fields and forests fly past, planning what she would do with her holiday – she was jerked back to reality by a quiet tapping on the glass of the compartment. She looked up to see Lisa standing in the corridor, peering shyly into the compartment.

"Hey Lisa, how're you?" Lily asked as she slid open the compartment door.

"I'm great, thanks Lily. I just wanted to say how grateful I am that your Dad was willing to help us. I mean, you could have died because of what I did and..."

"Hey," Lily cut in, putting a comforting hand on Lisa's shoulder, "it wasn't because of you – it was because of them. No-one holds you responsible, you are as much a victim in this as I am and you deserve to be kept safe."

"Thank you." Lisa whispered, giving Lily a quick hug before dashing back down the corridor to her compartment.

Before long the train was pulling slowly into King's Cross and Lily leapt up to get her trunk.

"You're a bit keen to be leaving. I'm almost offended." Scorpius laughed, twining his arms around her waist.

"Why only almost?" Lily asked, raising a challenging eyebrow at him.

"Because I know that in a minute you're going to give me a goodbye kiss." Scorpius stated simply, and Lily smirked.

"Aren't we confident?" She said, turning away to open the door of the compartment only to find herself being spun around and pulled into Scorpius's embrace. As he placed a gentle kiss on her lips she found herself leaning forward to maintain the contact as he pulled away. She felt him smile against her lips.

"Well, when I get reactions like that from beautiful girls I can't quite help it." He whispered, kissing her once more before letting her slip away onto the platform to greet her waiting parents.

Ginny threw her arms around her youngest child as Lily stepped off the train.

"What are we going to do with you?" She half-sobbed into Lily's hair.

"Bubble Charm?" Lily suggested with a giggle, and Ginny smiled.

"Come on then. Let's get you home." She said, tucking her daughter under her arm.

Harry, James and Albus were waiting for them by the barrier and Lily couldn't help grinning as she saw Albus grin at Scorpius across the platform before jerking his head towards James and making a throat slitting motion. Out of the corner of her eye Lily saw Scorpius blanch and giggled to herself.

The Potters piled into their car and within half an hour they were back in Grimmauld Place. Lily sighed as she sank into one of the living room armchairs, but her respite was only momentary,

"There's no time for that, darling. Your birthday is in two days and if you want everything to be ready I suggest we get started now. We're off to Diagon Alley as soon as the back up's arrived." Ginny said as she bustled into the kitchen. Confused, Lily followed her,

"Back up?" She asked, and her mother rolled her eyes.

"He may be Harry Potter, but that does not mean he alone is adequate protection. Just a couple of his co-workers are coming with us – to make sure nothing goes wrong."

"Mum, I don't need protecting. We're going to be in Diagon Alley, about the busiest place in the Wizarding World – they wouldn't dare try to attack me there." Lily tried to argue. As always, there was no winning against Ginny.

"Exactly, it's busy. Those crowds are so easy to get lost in, and they would provide excellent cover for anyone attempting to... well... I think I've made my point. We're going with protection, or we aren't going at all." The finality was clear in her tone, and Lily shrugged.

"Fine, as long as Finch-Fletchley isn't coming. He annoys me."

Ginny couldn't hide a smile then and replied,

"I don't think so, darling. We'll see."

As though it was answering Lily's question, the doorbell rang, and the still active painting of Mrs Black began to screech. Ginny pointed her wand at the painting, causing the ancient curtains to snap shut, before walking down the hall to open the door. The voices that drifted down towards the kitchen told her immediately who was accompanying them to Diagon Alley.

"I never get tired of that."

"Really, Ronald. It's so childish. Sorry, Ginny, I tried to stop him but..."

"Don't worry about it, Hermione, really. We're so used to it. Come on into the kitchen – we're just waiting for Harry to send an owl and then we'll be off."

Lily beamed as her aunt and uncle walked in, closely followed by Hugo and Rose, who was carrying a tiny bundle in her arms.

"Hello Lily." Hermione beamed, pulling her into a hug. "I can't believe you're going to be fifteen in a few days. I remember seeing Rose and Albus off together and you so wanted to go with them..."

"Give the girl a break, 'Mione. I'm sure she's going to get a dozen more people telling her similar stories over the next few days." Ron said with a wink.

"It just makes me feel so _old._" Hermione sighed, and Ron put an arm around her.

"I hate to break it to you, darling, but you've always been old." Hermione opened her mouth to argue but Ron cut her off, "And that is exactly why I love you."

"Oh get a room." Hugo scoffed, rolling his eyes at his parents and receiving a playful cuff around the ear from his mother.

"So how's the little Ruby?" Lily asked, changing the subject rapidly and peering into the bundle in Rose's arms. The baby who peered back at her had a tiny rosebud mouth that stood out vividly against her pale skin. A tuft of dark auburn hair dusted her head and her eyes had already turned from the dark blue of birth to a deep chocolate, and they seemed to bore into Lily with an intelligence that fascinated her.

"She looks like Hermione." Lily smiled, stroking Ruby's delicate pink cheek with her forefinger.

"She's got her father's appetite, though." Hermione joked as Ruby began to squirm in Rose's arms. Her tiny mouth opened and a thin wail began. Quick as a flash, Hermione whipped a bottle out of the satchel over her shoulder and took Ruby from her elder daughter.

"Sorry about this, everyone. We'll get going in a second I promise." Hermione said as Ruby latched herself onto the bottle and began sucking furiously.

In the end, it took another half an hour for the party to leave Grimmauld place – between Harry having to send a further three owls and Albus suddenly deciding he wanted a change of clothes.

Diagon Alley was, as ever, packed with people and it felt as though the group could not take more than a few steps before they bumped into someone they knew. In the end, it took them all afternoon to get the food and decoration for Lily's party, and for James to sneak off and return with a mysterious parcel under his arm.

When, finally, the two families sat down in Grimmauld Place's cosy living room for a cup of tea, the sun had set and they were all exhausted. It wasn't long before Lily, Rose, Al and Hugo were nodding off in their armchairs and were ordered to bed.

Unusually, Lily did not face a grilling from her cousin as they lay in bed that evening. Both girls were asleep within minutes.

_Good thing, too._ Lily thought to herself as she drifted off, _It's going to take all my energy, telling Dad about Scorpius. _

When Lily awoke the next morning, however, a strange fear came over her. She had always thought that she couldn't care less what her family thought about Scorpius, but now the moment had arrived she could barely open her mouth.

"Lily? I'm getting a bit worried, darling." Harry said as she opened and closed her mouth like a fish, without speaking.

"I just wanted to tell you that... myboyfriend'scomingtothepartytomorrow."

There was a long, drawn out silence as Harry attempted to decipher Lily's garbled confession. Then, quite suddenly, he gave a great laugh.

"That's it? You just wanted to tell me you have a boyfriend? Lily, I'm not expecting you to die an old maid – to be quite honest I'm surprised you left it this late."

"I... well... he's a bit older than me." She explained, and Harry shook his head.

"As long as he makes you happy, Lil."

Lily breathed a sigh of relief as she smiled and nodded, but out of the corner of her eye she saw Albus, Rose and Hugo share a significant look and as the teenagers made their way upstairs to Albus's room, Hugo said nonchalantly,

"Glad you didn't miss out any important details there. A really thorough overview of what Harry is to expect tomorrow."

"Oh shut up." Lily said, but she couldn't deny that she was nervous. Although Harry evidently had no issue with the concept of her having a boyfriend, Lily still wasn't sure how he would react when Draco Malfoy turned up at his door.

At Malfoy Manor, Scorpius was facing a similar, if even more daunting task.

"Dad?"

"Yes, Scorpius?" Draco replied from behind his copy of _The Daily Prophet. _

"You aren't, um, busy tomorrow, are you?"

"No. Why?"

"Well, I've, we've, been invited to a birthday party. My girlfriend's birthday party." Scorpius said, biting his lip as he waited for a reply. Draco lowered the paper and surveyed his son over the top of it. A small smile came to his thin lips.

"That sounds nice, Scorpius. May I ask who this mystery girl is?"

"Umm... you don't know her." Scorpius lied, he knew that his father would refuse point blank to step foot in the home of the Potters.

"Very well. I shall try to contain my excitement until the moment we meet, then." Scorpius watched his father disappear once again behind his paper and breathed a steadying breath before retreating back to his room to send an owl to Lily.

At three o'clock the following day, Lily was pacing furiously up and down the living room of Grimmauld Place. The guests were due to arrive any minute, and that included Scorpius and his father. The day had started off so wonderfully - when she had woken in the morning, Lily had seen a great pile of presents on the bottom of her bed. Her mother had brought her breakfast and so she tucked into scrambled eggs before opening the parcels. She receieved a beautiful royal blue dress from her mother, as well as a stack of Honeydukes chocolate in different flavours from Albus and a box of the latest WWW products from her Uncle George. When she finally made it down stairs there was one last present waiting for her on the long kitchen table. Her father and eldest brother were waiting next to it, both with grins plastered over their faces. Lily looked from one to the other before running to the table and ripping the parcel open. She knew what it was before she'd torn the paper away as she felt the smooth wood beneath her fingers. It was a new broomstick - a _Mercury_.

Lily jumped as the doorbell rang, pulled out of her reverie and back into the worrying present.

"Calm down, Lily." Her mother said as she hurried to answer the door.

"Remember the drill, if it's him..."

"Lily, it'll be fine." Rose tried to reassure her, but she ploughed on,

"Dad – be nice. James – be civil. Ron, George... just don't say anything." Her Uncles raised their fists in a mock salute as Ginny ushered Annie and her parents into the room.

"Oh thank Merlin." Lily breathed, rushing over to give her friend a warm hug.

"Aren't we a twitchy little pygmy puff." A voice in her ear said, and Lily spun round.

"Piss off, Teddy."

"I am mortally offended!" Teddy exclaimed, "You should be lucky it's your birthday, young lady, or I would be making a swift exit though that door. Which, incidentally, is the same door that young Mr Malfoy will be entering through at some point this afternoon."

"Shh!" Lily begged him, "Not so loud, Teddy!"

"I am discretion itself." Teddy promised, placing a finger over his lips.

"You'd better be."

After fifteen minutes of rushing frantically to and from the door and back into the living room, Lily had almost forgotten about her most controversial guest. When she pulled open the heavy front door for what felt like the hundredth time that afternoon, her heart seemed to stop in her chest.

Two tall, blonde figures stood before her. One was smiling sheepishly, while the other looked simply stunned.

"Scorpius! Mr Malfoy, what a pleasure to see you." She stuttered eventually. There was a horrible silence before Scorpius smiled,

"Happy Birthday, Lily," he said, casting a warning glance at his father and kissing Lily on the head.

"I... Thank you. Um... come in, both of you. We're in the living room."

As the trio entered the living room, every head in the room did a double take. Filling the silence that was opening like a chasm in the room, Lily said,

"Mum, Dad, this is Scorpius. I believe you know Mr Malfoy."

"Why yes, yes we do. It's wonderful to meet you properly, Scorpius. Do...um... make yourself at home." Harry smiled, shaking Scorpius's hand and ushering them into the room.

"Thank you, Daddy." Lily whispered as she passed, receiving a wink from her father in return. That wasn't the only whisper in the room, though. As Lily crossed the room, what she heard made her blush.

"But, _Malfoy!_"

"Be quiet, Ron!"

"Do you reckon if you punched him in the face again, he'd leave?"

"What's that slimy git doing here?"

"Be _quiet, _George!"

"Who is THAT, with my little sister?"

"Oh Merlin. James."

**_A/N - Uh oh, I think we all know what this means... so not much of a cliffy, but there we are. Reviews as always are very welcome! _**


	27. Interruptions

**_Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not owned by me. _**

**_A/N - I know I know I know. It's been forever, but it's here now. This just didn't want to come out, I'm afraid, and I got distracted by a little Romione that's been floating about in my skull for a while now. If you are interested in seeing what kept me from Lily and Scorpius it's called "If This Is It" and it's on my profile. _**

Lily's heart was pounding at what felt like a thousand miles per hour as she looked up at her brother, whose lips were set in a hard line across his face.

"Lily, who is this?" he almost whispered, turning so that his back was towards Scorpius as he interrogated his sister.

"You know perfectly well who this is, James." Lily responded coolly, "But just in case you've forgotten, I owe Scorpius my life."

"You don't owe him _anything_." James insisted, raising his eyebrows meaningfully at Lily. Incredibly, she fought the urge not to laugh at the ridiculous insinuation.

"If you are suggesting, dearest brother, that I am with him for that reason alone you would be very much mistaken." Lily told him, and no-one in earshot could have mistaken the menace in her voice. James didn't either and took half a step back.

"Well… I'm just letting you know that if he does _anything, _anything _at all_, then I cannot be held responsible for my actions."

"Yes James, I'm sure you're very macho." Lily sighed with a roll of her eyes, pushing James back towards Teddy, who was grinning all over his face.

Lily shook her head with a smile before turning back to Scorpius.

"Err… sorry about that. Could've been a hell of a lot worse, though, I mean, I was expecting…"

"Me too." Scorpius finished for her.

"I suppose I didn't count on the adults acting, well, like adults." Lily giggled, and Scorpius nodded in agreement.

"They're growing up, I'm so proud." He said, wiping an invisible tear from his eye and prompting Lily to giggle again. Scorpius planting a swift kiss on Lily's temple had a pair of furious brown eyes directed towards them once more.

"Maybe not, then." Scorpius muttered, and Lily arched one eyebrow in curiosity. "Over there." Scorpius nodded to where James was glaring at them from his position next to Teddy.

"He needs to get over it." Lily smiled, taking Scorpius's face in her hands and kissing him full on the mouth, after several long seconds they broke apart.

"I appreciate the sentiment, Lily, but I'm rather attached to my limbs." Scorpius whispered, glancing over to where both James and Teddy were staring, dumbstruck, at them.

"You're a big boy, you can handle it." Lily grinned, pecking him on the cheek as the doorbell rang again and she skipped across the living room and out into the hallway. Scorpius sank onto the nearest sofa and buried his head in his hands.

"She is a law unto herself, that girl." came a soft voice next to him and Scorpius sat up to see Hermione Weasley, cradling a small bundle in her arms.

"You can say that again."

"She gets it from her mother. I do remember Ginny going through a phase of becoming very enthusiastic about Harry whenever Ron was about. I don't think Harry minded, though." She said with a shrug.

"I wouldn't mind either only I'm not big on being cursed to a jelly." Scorpius smiled, nodding towards where James and Teddy were now deep in hushed conversation.

"Don't you worry about James; he'll come round in the end." Hermione said softly.

"As long as it isn't my end, I hope so." Scorpius replied and Hermione laughed.

"So, Scorpius, do you have any ideas about what you might like to do after NEWT?" she asked, and Scorpius was surprised to hear utter sincerity in her voice – she genuinely wanted to know.

"Well, I'd like to go into Magical Law, but I'm not sure what area." He replied honestly, and Hermione smiled.

"An Auror? You've certainly got the guts for it."

"That's just the thing, I don't think I do. I saved Lily because I just felt like I had to, because I cared about her, but I don't really think I'm suited to that sort of life. At the same time, though, I can't really imagine myself in an office all day."

"I know what you mean. After the Second War I had no idea what to do with myself – I knew I wasn't made for adventure in the same way Harry and Ron were. I fought because that was what I believed in but I could never handle living my life on the edge like that. I worry enough about Ron as it is." She admitted, and Scorpius smiled understandingly, "On the other hand, I knew I could never just settle down to an office job after all of that, so I did what I knew – I kept fighting for something that I was passionate about, and got the Act for the Protection of House Elves passed. What are you passionate about, Scorpius?"

Without even thinking about it, Scorpius found himself saying,

"Truth. When I was under that curse and I couldn't speak, what I wanted more than anything was to be able to speak out, but I couldn't, and in the end it almost cost me Lily."

"Interesting, but very admirable. I can't think of anything off the top of my head, but I could ask Harriet for you – I'm sure she could ask around to get you a placement over the summer if you wanted." Hermione offered, and for a moment Scorpius found himself speechless,

"I… yeah that would be amazing." He eventually replied, as the bundle in Hermione's arms began to wail.

"This must be Ruby, then." Scorpius smiled as Hermione unwound the blankets around the baby to let her stretch her tiny limbs.

"Yes, this is the most recent addition to the family. I suppose Lily mentioned she was about to have another little cousin?"

"Yes, though she wasn't nearly as excited as Rose." Scorpius told her, and Hermione smiled.

"She's always been that way. When Hugo was born she was just two, but she still managed to carry him all the way downstairs in the middle of the night because he was crying. After that, she always wanted to be holding him – needless to say he was dropped rather a lot." She explained and Scorpius laughed. Baby Ruby seemed to like the sound, because she opened her mouth in a toothless grin.

"She likes you." Hermione said as Ruby curled a tiny fist around Scorpius's outstretched finger.

"Rose said you named her after Hagrid." Scorpius commented and Hermione nodded in agreement.

"He's been such a good friend to me over the years and to Ron as well, of course. He was the one who used to comfort me when I was angry with Ron, or even just provide a bucket when…" She tailed off.

"When what?" Scorpius asked, looking up from the child to her mother, who was blushing.

"When Ron was throwing up slugs because his wand backfired. He was trying to curse… someone."

There was a moment of silence before Scorpius said,

"You mean my father."

"I… yes. Sorry, Scorpius, forget I mentioned it." Hermione breathed, shaking her head and looking back to Ruby.

"What did he do?" Scorpius persisted, and Hermione looked as if she would not make an answer before eventually replying in barely more than a whisper,

"He called me a Mudblood."

"Oh. I… I'm sorry, Mrs Weasley."

"Hermione, please. It was a long time ago, and not your fault at all." She insisted, "Would you like to hold her?"

On the other side of the room, Lily watched as her Aunt handed Ruby to Scorpius. She smiled to herself as she heard the wail turn to a giggle as Scorpius waved at the baby. Then, she heard a soft voice speak behind her.

"He's a good kid, Scorpius. You must be proud of him."

"You know what, Potter, I am."

"If someone had told you twenty years ago that we'd be standing here…"

"I'd have said they must have been confunded."

"Too bloody right. Absolutely mental."

Lily smiled to herself and as she glanced at the figure standing directly on her right and met the eyes of her godfather, who winked mischievously at her and whispered under his breath,

"I still think it's bloody mental – whoever prompted them to spend an extended period of time together must be seriously deranged."

"Absolutely mad as a bag of Bowtruckles." she agreed, and Neville smiled.

"They'll be fine, don't worry – just keep an eye on George around the food."

"Hadn't thought of that. Thanks." Lily said, catching sight, out of the corner of her eye, of her uncle sliding out of the door and down the corridor. "I'll be right back."

Lily could hear Neville chuckling as he set off in pursuit of George and found him leaning over the kitchen table, which was groaning with food.

"Hem hem." She cleared her throat and George leapt away from where he had been busy with the pumpkin pasties.

"Merlin's ears, Lily! I thought you were Umbridge back from the dead for a second. Don't ever do that again."  
"I don't know, I might be tempted to use one of her special quills on you if I find you've been doing what I think you've been doing to those pumpkin pasties." Lily warned, and George smiled.

"Am I so transparent, High Inquisitor Potter?" George smiled, dropping into a low, mocking bow.

"Yes. Now take those puking pastilles out of them immediately, or I will… loose my wroth upon you." She stated, straightening her back to draw herself up to her full, though still unimpressive, height.

"I'm shaking in my boots." George assured her, "But it's harmless, honestly. All I wanted to do was cause a little havoc with the knowledge that pumpkin pasties are one of the favourite treats of Mr Malfoy Senior."

"I'm afraid I will not allow that to happen." Lily told him in a matter of fact tone.

"Oh yeah? And what are you going to do about it?" George asked with a smirk.

"Mummy!" Lily yelled, and a look of sheer terror flashed across George's face.

"What is it, sweetie?" Ginny asked as she rushed into the kitchen. She took one look at George standing next to the table of food and asked softly,  
"What, dearest brother, are you doing with my pumpkin pasties?"

"Absolutely nothing, Gin, nothing at all. In fact, I am quite appalled at the quality of your pastry – these will simply fall apart in the hands of our guests. I was just conveying them to the bin so we did not have to subject our guests to them." He lied smoothly, levitating the entire plate with his wand and letting the pasties slide off them onto the bin.

"Yes, I had thought that batch was poor. Thank you so much for ensuring that _all _our guests are satisfied." She smiled dangerously and backed out of the kitchen.

"After you." Lily smiled, gesturing towards the door.

"That was low, Potter." He grumbled as he slouched past her back towards the living room. Once alone, Lily took a deep, steadying breath adjusted her hair in the large mirror on the mantelpiece. She'd been standing there only a few seconds when Scorpius entered quietly into the kitchen and wound his arms around Lily's waist, resting his chin on her shoulder as he whispered.

"You look beautiful, Lily. I haven't had the chance to tell you yet today, because you have been so surrounded. I'm getting rather jealous, y'know."

"And why on earth might that be?" She smiled, twisting in Scorpius's arms so she was facing him.

"Because I've been in the same room as you for over an hour without being able to do this."

When Scorpius touched his lips to Lily's they were gentle and Lily leaned into his embrace as his kiss became more urgent. With extreme effort, Lily pulled away just long enough to whisper,

"Perhaps we should take this somewhere more private."

"Won't you family miss you?" Scorpius pointed out, wishing as soon as he said it that he wasn't quite so sensible.

"My family can go to hell if they like. It's my birthday, and I can do whatever I want."

"My my, Miss Potter, how devilish of you." Scorpius smiled as Lily took his hand and led him from the kitchen. In the hallway they bumped into Rose, who took one look at them and winked at Lily.

"Consider the hordes distracted." She said, waiting until Lily and Scorpius were past the painting of Mrs Black and up the stairs before shouting,

"Food's ready, everyone!"

"What better way to distract a load of Weasleys? Food." Lily giggled as the door of her bedroom closed behind them. "Now, where were we?"

Scorpius felt his heart-rate increase as she slid her hands into his hair and kissed him again. Her lips tasted like honey and he made a mental note to ask her how girls did that before he found himself lost in her again.

Both Lily and Scorpius jumped when they heard a noise from the kitchen below – a squawk loud enough to resonate through the old house.

"Oh Merlin." Lily gasped, her hand flying to her mouth, "I didn't check the biscuits."

"What?" Scorpius asked, completely bemused.

"I caught George tampering with the pumpkin pasties earlier, trying to catch your dad out, I imagine. I threw them out but I didn't check the rest of the food and he could easily have planted a Canary Cream in there." Lily explained, and a little colour drained from Scorpius's face.

"You don't think he got..?"

Scorpius's unfinished question was answered by Hermione's disembodied voice floating up the stairs,  
"I am _so _sorry, Draco, just let me… stop _laughing _Ron!"

"Looks like it. I am going to kill him." Lily said murderously, turning to descend the stairs and make her Uncle into mincemeat.

"Wait wait wait." Scorpius said, placing himself between Lily and the door. "We don't want your birthday to be remembered because you committed homicide. I think you should just take a little time to calm down."

"And how would you suggest I did that, most wise one?" Lily asked, though she knew the answer perfectly well.

"I have a couple of ideas…" Scorpius told her, capturing her lips again.

Interruption this time came not from a prying family member or an ill-timed practical joke, but the sound of breaking glass as the bedroom window shattered under the force of a curse that sent Lily and Scorpius flying across the room.

**_A/N - Hopefully the next chapter should be up fairly soon. I will try, I promise! In the meantime, reviews make me smile..._**


	28. No Way Out

**_Disclaimer - Hermione can't draw and I don't own Harry Potter._**

**_A/N - Hello everyone! Not too bad on the updating this time around, although it would have been quicker if I hadn't been distracted by A Very Potter Musical/Sequel (points to anyone who FINDS the sneaky reference in this chapter). Anyhoo, hope you enjoy this one - it's all getting a bit serious! _**

Harry was pacing the kitchen at Grimmauld Place. The guests of the party had mostly departed, though Ron, Hermione, Rose and Hugo were sitting around the table, looking worried. Draco Malfoy too was pacing the kitchen, pulling the occasional feather from his robes.

"I knew he was no bloody good."

"James, shut it."

"What, Al? Just 'cause you're all cosy with him, too..."

"_James._" Rose's hissed warning did it – the combined influences of Hermione and Molly Weasley had given her an impressive arsenal of dangerous looks. Silence descended upon the family again, the only sound was Harry's incessant footsteps on the stone flags of the kitchen floor.

"That's it." Harry said suddenly, breaking the silence and causing everyone around the table to jump. "We're just going to have to go ourselves. Hang what the Ministry say."

"Harry, you know that isn't wise – you don't even know..."

"Hermione – all three of your children are in this room. I think if one of them had just been abducted you would be thinking exactly the same."

Harry informed her pointedly. Hermione took a deep breath before replying,

"I imagine I would, and I trust that you would be there to advise me and make sure that I did nothing rash that could land myself and my child in danger." she said calmly, holding Harry's frightened green eyes with her steady brown ones. Ginny broke the silence by entering the kitchen, running a hand through her fiery hair.

"I still can't get through, and Dad's having trouble getting anywhere down at the Ministry. Whose genius idea was it to have a reduced force on a Sunday? It's not as though crazed ex-Death Eaters sit around saying 'Well, it is Sunday, I suppose we should give the evil a rest'. It's ridiculous!" she looked close to tears as she collapsed into one of the kitchen chairs, only to get up and check the living room fire again.

"If we even knew they were, that would be something." Harry sighed, dropping his head onto the kitchen table.

"And by 'we' I suppose you mean the heroes?" came a voice from the other side of the table.

Every eye turned to Draco Malfoy, in truth, they had forgotten he was there.

"Have any of you considered the fact that it isn't just The Chosen One who's lost his child? No. And I suppose none of you thought that I might even know where they were?" he continued indignantly.

"But you simply decided to keep that a secret?" Harry exploded, "We all know you like to keep us in suspense – your little trick with the Vanishing Cabinet proved that, and what happened there?"

"Harry!" Hermione and Ginny spoke at once as Malfoy blushed scarlet.

"Sometimes, Potter, being turned into a bird, combined with the shock of having your only son disappear in a crash of glass can scramble your mind."

For the first time since Lily and Scorpius had disappeared, Ron spoke.

"Harry, mate, perhaps you should just hear him out. From the looks of things the office isn't going to help us here, so the only way we're gonna get Lily... and Scorpius back is to listen to him. Plus there's four of us and one of him..."

"Nine." Came an indignant voice from across the kitchen.

Hugo was standing up, every eyes turned on him, either in shock or in awe.

"I beg your pardon, young man." Hermione said, standing up also.

"You heard me, Mum. Nine. We want to help. Lily's our family, too. We want to help." Hugo stated, and there were fervent nods from the teenagers around the table.

"Absolutely not, you are far too young to..." Hermione began, only to be cut off by the protests of her children.

"We're older than you were when you saved the Philosopher's Stone!"

"I knew this would happen." Hermione sighed, burying her head in her hands. Once again, it was down to Ron to calm the situation.

"Look, kids. I know how you must feel, and I know it seems unfair of us to forbid you from helping us when we did similar things at your age. But what you have to understand is that we didn't have much of a choice – the adults weren't concerned or were too incompetent to do anything about it. It's different now. We're here to protect you from that, from the terrible danger in which we found ourselves, because it wasn't a picnic. I don't think I'll ever be able to forget the sight of Wood and Neville bringing Colin Creevy's body into the Great Hall – he was _sixteen_, the same age as Rose and Albus. I've seen enough children die, and I am not going to put my own children, my own nieces and nephews, in the sort of danger that means I could see more. Understood?"

Under his father's piercing stare, Hugo could do nothing more than nod before resuming his place.

"Look, I'm sorry. Harry, Hermione and I have put up similar fights in our time but now I can understand exactly why my parents were so against it. Please don't make this any more difficult than it already is."

Another silence followed this pronouncement, until suddenly Rose stood up and threw her arms around her father.

"Don't you get hurt either! We need you back in one piece, got it?"

"Absolutely, Rosie." Ron replied, trying to disguise the lump in his throat and planting a swift kiss on the top of her head.

"Not that I don't find this display of family affection _extremely _moving, but some of us would like to get our own offspring out of the mortal peril in which they now find themselves." Malfoy interrupted, standing up and gesturing towards the door.

"We can't go anywhere until we know where they are!" Ginny cried, tears springing suddenly to her eyes.

"I've already told you I know. Now can we get a bloody move on?"

When Scorpius awoke, he could barely tell that he had opened his eyes. The room in which he lay was not lit, the only proof he had that he was conscious was the discomfort he felt as his bruised body lay against the hard stone floor. He had caught not a glimpse of the attackers before he was knocked out as his head it the bedroom wall, but he had no doubts as to who had burst the window of Grimmauld Place. His heart gave a great leap in his chest as his hands explored the area around himself to find it empty.

"Lily?" he croaked into the darkness.

"Scorpius?" came the feeble reply, and Scorpius let out a sigh of relief. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he could dimly make out Lily's form slumped on the floor. It was only when he attempted to get up to go to her that he realised he had a shard of glass embedded in his calf. He cried out as he put pressure on the wound and fell back to the floor.

"Are you all right?" Lily asked, her voice a little stronger this time.

"Yeah." He breathed, "It's just my leg – some of the glass hit it when the window smashed."

"That doesn't sound all right to me." Lily said, and Scorpius could tell she'd just rolled her eyes. "I suppose they took your wand as well?"

Scorpius patted himself down and sighed.

"Yep. Shouldn't have expected anything else, really. Wait a minute." Scorpius dug in his pocket and quickly found what he was looking for.

"Would you mind awfully if I opened your birthday present?" He said, and Lily paused.

"Why would my birthday present be of any use?"

"Funnily enough, it was meant to be a joke." Scorpius explained as he ripped the paper from the tiny bundle. "It's a shrinkable first aid kit that you can carry around in your pocket, thought it would be useful considering how much you hurt yourself!"

"Oh, you comic genius." Lily said scornfully, but Scorpius could hear the smile in her voice. "Let's get you sorted out, then."

"We're going to have to take the glass out. Do you think you could do that?"

Lily's reply was so quiet, Scorpius could barely hear her.

"Yeah."

Their eyes now fully adjusted to the darkness, Lily and Scorpius could see a large shard of glass sticking out of Scorpius's leg. Taking a large breath, Lily grasped the glass, trying not to let it cut into her own hands.

"Quickly, or slowly?" She asked, her voice shaking just a little.

"Quickly." Scorpius replied, bracing himself for the pain he knew was to come. When Lily tugged the shard from his leg, the pain was sharp, and he could feel the hot blood oozing out of the wound. Lily fumbled in the first aid bag and brought out a white cloth, which looked far too big to fit into the tiny bag. As soon as it touched Scorpius's leg, it darkened and slid off, exposing a clean cut for Lily to bind with another, longer piece of material from the bag. When it was done, se tied the material in a knot, and kissed the spot where the cut had been visible moments before.

"Is there a pain relief potion in here, too?" She asked, rummaging around in the bag and eventually finding a vial of potion.

"That should be pain relief; it's the only potion in the set." Scorpius replied as Lily unstoppered the vial and handed it to him. He threw back the potion in one gulp and felt a cooling sensation spread through his body, landing finally on his leg, where the area around his wound became numb.

"Now that's sorted, where do you think we are?" Scorpius said, sitting up against the stone walls of their makeshift cell. "I think we can both guess _who _we've been captured by, but where they've taken us is another matter entirely. Even if we get out of this room we need to find our way home again."

"I think we should take each step as we come to it, right now we need to get out of..." Lily was cut short by the sound of footfall beyond the room's single door. A muttered incantation and the door crept open, the light that flooded in blinding both Lily and Scorpius before their captors came into view.

The three hulking men that stood in the doorway were unfamiliar to Lily, but she knew who they were instantly. Scorpius recognised them from his childhood, those men who had made his father shout, the sound echoing through the almost empty Manor as his mother tried to distract him. The four year old Scorpius hadn't understood what was happening at the time, but he knew now and was inexplicably proud of his father for refusing them and their promises of power if he re-joined the Dark.

"Well well well, look who's up." Said the one who had opened the door, Scorpius thought it was Nott.

"Would you be so kind as to accompany us into our main hall?" he asked, an evil smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. Scorpius heaved himself onto his feet, trying not to let it show that he was hurt. He looked down at Lily, still sitting stubbornly on the floor.

"Don't make this difficult." He said quietly, holding out his hand to her. After a second of hesitation, she took it and let him pull her from the floor.

"A wise choice, Miss Potter." Nott said, stepping aside to allow them to walk ahead of him down the corridor. The two wizards in front of them were enormous; side by side they took up almost the whole corridor, twelve years in Azkaban seemed not to have affected them in the least. When they reached the main hall, there were four familiar figures standing there with identical smirks on their faces.

"Miss us?" Zabini asked as they were pushed to the floor by their older captors.

"Yes, actually. I have missed your sweet if bumbling attempts to kill me over the past couple of weeks." Lily said and Scorpius hung in head in despair. However, Zabini did nothing more than laugh softly.

"Then you'll be happy to know that this time we can't fail. No-one knows where we are here, so not even your famous father can save you now."

"What is your problem?" Lily suddenly shouted. "What the hell has my father ever done to you?"

"What's he done to me?" Zabini's cool manner disappeared instantly, "He took my father away, that's what he did. He wasn't even involved with the Dark Side's plan to seize power again, but your _precious _father got him banged up in Azkaban anyway, just because he was a Slytherin! He died there, Potter. That's what your father's done to me, to my whole family. Your "Light Side" is supposedly all for equality but that's a bloody lie – they might be cosy with the Mudbloods and the half-breeds but what about people like my father? Just because he's part of a pure-blood dynasty, he _must _support Voldemort!" His olive complexion was tinged with pink, and his eyes were bright with tears that he refused to let fall. Lily opened and closed her mouth before looking down at the floor.

"Look, Zabini I'm sorry about what happened but is this really necessary?" Scorpius tried to argue, only to be cut off by Goyle hitting him around the head, the force of the blow knocking him to the ground.

"Of course it's necessary. This will be a last blow for the Dark, just to show Potter that it's not over yet. We may be beaten, but we can still strike him at his heart." Goyle's smile was pure malice, his thin lips pulling back to show yellow-brown teeth.

"And it'll be so satisfying to finally finish off you, Scorpius. Your little hero complex has been holding us back all year." The younger Goyle added, and when he grinned Scorpius was struck by the resemblance – both men looked equally like trolls.

"So why don't you just get on with it?" Scorpius muttered bitterly.

"Because, Malfoy, it'll be so much more amusing to watch you suffer first." Flint whispered, pointing his wand at Lily and crying "Crucio."

Lily could barely hear Scorpius's shouts of protest over her own screams. Every inch of her body felt as though it was on fire, right down to the marrow of her bones. It wasn't until she was released that she realised her lungs were empty. She gulped in lungfuls of air desperately, unable to stop spasms shooting through her body.

She was totally unprepared for the second curse that was shot at her, unable to fathom how this was so much worse, sharper, the previous one. This time, it was Zabini who tortured her and her own screams seemed far away, mingled with Scorpius's cries of,  
"Stop it, let her go!"

An almighty bang brought a sudden end to Lily's pain, the door flying off its hinges. For a second, Lily did not recognise the new figures through her tears. Then, miraculously, she heard her mother's voice,

"Not my daughter, you bastards!"

Scorpius took his opportunity – springing from the floor he hurled himself at Zabini, wrestling the wand from his hand.

"Stupefy!" he cried, missing Zabini by a hair's breadth as he rolled out of the way, pulling a new wand from his pocket, one Scorpius recognised as his own.

"Reducto!" Zabini yelled, ducking behind Goyle as he hurled the curse at Scorpius. From across the room he heard Lily scream, and whirled around in time to see Harry send a jet of orange light at Nott, who stumbled backward, releasing Lily from his grasp. He barely had time to breathe a sigh of relief before, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Flint point his wand at him and say "Explus…" before he was thrown backwards into the wall and slid down it again, unconscious.

"Always watch you back." Draco said, smiling at his son before hurling another curse at Goyle, standing across the room. The curse missed its mark, but singed the wall next to Goyle's ear. All round him, Scorpius could hear the sounds of battle – Harry was duelling fiercely with the older Flint by the door whilst Ron held off both Notts, Ginny trying desperately to shield Lily (who was still wandless) and fight off the younger Goyle. Scorpius was amazed at the skill of the younger Slytherins as they fired curse after deadly curse at the rescuers – their fathers must have taught them a few things while they were on the run together.

It was only briefly that Scorpius saw it, a lone wand rolling across the wooden floor, only narrowly missing people's feet as they danced to and fro to avoid the curses hurled by their enemies. What was staring at was Lily, who had darted out from behind her mother's shield to make a grab for her wand. Time seemed to slow as Scorpius saw Goyle raise his wand, not hearing the curse that formed on his lips as he yelled,

"Protego!"

The shield burst from his wand, deflecting Goyle's curse just as Scorpius felt a searing pain in his chest. Looking down, Scorpius only had a few seconds to register the blood that covered his once white shirt before everything went black.

**_A/N - Hopefully the next chapter will be up soon, I've got my last exam on Thursday so I'll have a bit more time on my hands after that! Reviews are always welcome! _**


	29. Sectumsempra

**_Disclaimer: Loving something doesn't mean you own it_**

**_A/N - Sorry again for the wait, but this chapter just didn't want to come out! Hope you like it though! _**

Lily's heart gave a leap when she saw her wand rolling across the floor, darting out from behind her mother's shield; she made a grab for it. But before she could raise it, she saw a streak of orange light shooting towards her and heard two voices simultaneously shout,

"Protego!"

"Sectumsempra!"

The orange light crashed into the opposite wall as Lily cast her eye around for her saviour and her heart dropped to her stomach when she saw Scorpius, staring down at his blood soaked shirt. She had only just reached him when he collapsed onto the floor.

Lily could hear herself screaming his name, but it sounded distant, lost in the cacophony around her. She could barely see through her tears as she held Scorpius's face in her hands, not caring that his blood was running down and staining her skin and dress. She screamed at the top of her lungs as she felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around her and pull her to her feet. Scorpius disappeared from her view as she was Apparated away, landing in a room she didn't recognise.

"Let me go!" She screamed, thrashing in the arms of her abductor.

"Lily, Lily please calm down." Her father whispered in her ear, desperately trying to keep her upright.

"Why did you take me? Where's Scorpius?"

"His father Apparated him away, straight to the emergency ward of St Mungo's. He's only a few corridors away, so please just calm down." Harry tried to reassure her.

Lily stopped resisting, and Harry allowed her to sink to the floor, her arms around her knees as she sobbed into her blood-soaked party dress.

"Lily I... I... I have to get back, but I'll send someone over for you, I promise." Harry told her, planting a swift kiss on her head before Apparating away with a sharp crack. In a matter of seconds she felt a fresh pair of arms wind around her and she breathed in Teddy's familiar scent as he stroked her back and shushed her gently. Suddenly she felt as though she was at home again, only a little more than a toddler, crying her eyes out over bad dreams as he held her and reassured her.

After a couple of minutes, she felt a hand press gently on her shoulder and looked up into the round face of a Healer with kindly eyes.

"Hello, Lily, I'm Healer Bennet. I know you've had a pretty tough day, but would you mind just coming with me to a more private room where I can just check you over, make sure you're not hurt?" She said softly, holding a hand out to help Lily up.

"I'm fine." Lily choked, not releasing her grip on Teddy, "I want to see Scorpius."

"No-one is allowed to see him at the moment, I'm afraid, but we'll let you know when he's allowed visitors aside from his family."

"But... but I need to see him! It's my fault he's here anyway – I need to see him... tell him..." Lily tried to protest, but the Healer cut her off.

"I'm afraid you will have to wait, as will his parents. In the mean time, why don't you come with me, just to give you a check over." Healer Bennet insisted, and Lily reluctantly allowed Teddy to help her up.

She sat patiently for over half an hour while Healer Bennet checked her over, putting salves and creams on her cuts and bruises and asking her all manner of stupid questions about how she was feeling. She felt as though she was about to explode.

HpHpHpHpHp

Halfway across England, in the abandoned Zabini Mansion, the battle still raged. Both Goyle's were unconscious (hardly surprising, Ginny thought – they'd always been as thick as Polyjuice) but the rest of the Slytherins were still fighting fit and Ron was now battling with blood running down his leg, having been grazed by a passing _Sectumsempra. _Harry was back and duelling fiercely with Nott, but it looked as though they would be easily overwhelmed.

Malfoy still hadn't returned, having Apparated to St Mungo's with Scorpius. Ginny hoped beyond hope that Scorpius would survive as she hurled a powerful stunner at the younger Flint, who was sent flying backwards and hit the wall, where he slumped forward, unconscious. There was a roar from his father, who sent a killing curse straight at her. She dodged it with practised Quidditch skill, and sent a powerful _Reducto _straight back. Ginny had to admit she found it difficult to duel against the younger Slytherins, they were only sixteen, after all, did they really know any better? The older generation, however, she had no problem with.

Red sparks exploded against the wall as Ginny's stunner flew past Flint's ear and she ducked as he sent another killing curse back.

"Expulso!" She yelled, sending Flint spinning across the room as her curse found its mark.

Whirling around, Ginny saw Ron duelling fiercely with the two remaining teens, whilst Harry battled Nott. Instinctively, she rushed to her brother's aid, as the blood from his leg now had his trousers plastered to his calf, and Nott's curses were relentless – it was all Ron could do to block them as the colour drained from his face. Silently, Ginny sent an "Incarcerus" towards Nott and as thick vines strapped his arms to his sides, Ron stunned him so he landed with a heavy thud on the wooden floor. Zabini took the opportunity to send another vicious "Secumsempra" in Ginny's direction, missing her by a hair's breadth. He left no time for recovery, sending a "Reducto" immediately afterwards, and it was all Ginny could do to block the curse before it reduced her to dust. Whoever had trained the boy, they had trained him well, Ginny thought as she blocked and volleyed the hail of curses raining down on her.

Still there was something in his eyes that she couldn't place, something that made her reluctant to retaliate. His curses were off target more often than not and the hard set of his jaw as he slashed his wand through the air told Ginny that this was not a hardened Death Eater, like his older trainers, this was a child with a score to settle. She could feel the curses bouncing off her ever weakening shield as she fought with herself. She didn't want to hurt this boy, younger than her eldest child and with so much pain in his past but if she didn't fight back, there was no knowing what he'd do. That decision was made for her as Zabini's eyes widened in shock, his arms clamping down by his sides as he toppled over onto the floor, frozen.

"What the hell were you thinking, Gin?" Ron sighed, collapsing onto a dusty armchair, "He could have killed you!"

"I just... I couldn't. He's just a child." She breathed, tears welling up in her eyes as Harry put his arm around her. Nott was slumped on the floor, his eyes, still open, gazing up at the ceiling.

"I know, I know." Harry consoled her, "But now Lily needs you. She's at St. Mungo's. You go – I'll send a Patronus to the Auror Office to come and clear this up and one to St Mungo's to get a Side-Alonger down here for Ron. We'll be with you in five minutes, I promise."

Ginny nodded and kissed Harry quickly before Apparating out of the house and straight into the St Mungo's Emergency Ward.

HpHpHpHpHp

When the Healers brought her mother into her curtained area, Lily burst into tears once more.

"Hey, hey, what's up, darling? It's all right, I'm here, everyone's safe now." Ginny whispered as she gathered her youngest child to her. She felt Lily nod against her chest and raised a hand to stroke her daughter's red hair.

"Sorry." Lily choked out eventually. "I'm just a bit overwhelmed."

"You don't need to aplogise, darling. Completely understandable." Ginny chuckled as she released Lily, who smiled back at her.

"Where's Dad? And Uncle Ron?"

"Ron managed to get himself hurt, though it isn't too serious – just his leg. Your father is staying with him until a Side-Alonger can get there and the rest of the Aurors get there to clean up and get the Slytherins back to Azkaban where they belong." Ginny reassured her, though Lily still looked troubled.

At that moment, they were interrupted by Healer Bennet, who stuck her head through the drawn curtains and said,

"Scorpius is stable now, though not conscious. I've checked with his parents and if you want to visit him that would be fine." She smiled, and Lily nodded.

"I would like to see him, thank you."

"I'll wait here with Teddy." Ginny said, sitting down on the chair next to Teddy, who had been waiting silently with Lily until her mother's return.

Lily was led down seemingly endless corridors until she and Healer Bennet reached the intensive care ward. Scorpius had his own room, with a brilliantly white bed in the centre where he lay, eyes closed. An upside-down bottle of potion was floating next to his bed, while a clear tube linked the bottle to Scorpius's arm, where a needle was sticking into the crook of his elbow. Lily raised her hand to her mouth when she saw him, pale as the sheets he lay in, with his mother and father sitting next to the bed. Mrs Malfoy's eyes were red-rimmed, and his father's mouth was set in a hard line as he looked down at his son.

"Will he be all right?" Lily finally asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.

"As long as they manage to get enough blood back into his body, he should be all right." Mrs Malfoy sniffed. "Though they say he'll be in here for a good few weeks."

"I'm so sorry, Mr and Mrs Malfoy. I never wanted for..." Lily started, but Astoria cut her off.

"Lily, we know this isn't your fault. Don't apologise. We'll leave you with him for a couple of minutes." She said, a weak smile on her face as she took her husband by the hand and led him from the room. As soon as the door closed Lily flew across the room and grasped Scorpius's hand.

"I'm so sorry, Scorpius. I... I was so stupid, but you saved me. If you live, I'll never do anything like that again, I promise. Just, please. Please live." She touched her lips to his hand. "I love you."

She could think of nothing more to say as she rested her head on the sheets next to him. It was only when she stood up to go that she realised she had been crying, the tears making a small wet patch on Scorpius's bedding.

She didn't want to look at Scorpius's distraught parents as she left the room, only muttering a small, "Thank you." as she made her way back to her own ward.

Lily let her mother Apparate her home where her father and siblings waited for her in something of a daze, allowing first Harry, then James and finally Albus hug her before she hauled herself up the stairs to bed. She had a bottle of Dreamless Sleep potion that Healer Bennet had given her, which she drank gratefully and collapsed, still fully dressed and blood-soaked, onto her bed.

When she awoke, it was still early and the events of the previous night came rushing back to her as she looked down at her blood-soaked dress. She immediately felt sick and struggled out of the dress at lightning speed. She tiptoed down the hall, trying not to wake her family as she closed the door of the bathroom. She ran a bath and sank gratefully into the hot, soapy water.

The heat untied the knots in her muscles and burned against the cuts and scrapes on her limbs. She washed her hair twice before finally wrapping herself in a towel and making her way back towards her room. She hadn't realised quite how long she'd been in the bath and by the time she got downstairs the rest of the Potters were having breakfast. Harry was reading the Quibbler but looked up when she entered.

"Morning, darling. Did you sleep all right?" He asked softly, and she nodded.

"Do you want any breakfast, Lily? I made you scrambled eggs with bacon and mushroom if you like." Ginny said, gesturing to the pan before her.

"That would be very nice, thanks." Lily said as she sat down at the table next to Albus. To her surprise, she felt her big brother place a hand on her knee and give it a soft squeeze. It comforted Lily and reminded her that she needed to at least try to remain positive for her family. Though her appetite was non-existent, she managed to eat more than half of the breakfast (usually her favourite) that her mother placed before her.

Just as she was about to leave Marauder, the family owl, swooped through the window and dropped a copy of the Daily Prophet onto Harry's lap. An enormous picture of Lily, as well as a smaller snap of Scorpius was splashed on the front page.

"Who the Hell let this out?" Harry cursed under his breath. He'd tried his hardest, over the years, to keep his business private and had had reasonable success. This, however, was as bad as it could be.

Scanning the article, he scoffed at the Prophet's version of events, but the note at the end of the article made him stop.

"Zabini's dead." He choked, and Lily whirled around.

"What?"

"The whole of the so-called "Riddle Society" were transported to Azkaban prison late last night, where their young ringleader, Anton Zabini, attempted to escape and was killed in the struggle." Harry read aloud, and Lily sank back down into her chair.

"He was scared." Lily whispered, wrapping her arms around herself. "He was scared to go in there, the place where his father died."

"What?" James asked, his mouth still full of toast.

"That's why Zabini was after me. It wasn't because he thought Voldemort might return, or make a point about how the great Harry Potter is really a mortal. This is because his father was wrongfully imprisoned, purely because he was friends with Goyle and the rest of them who broke out sixteen years ago. He died in Azkaban before his son even knew him, for Merlin's sake. No wonder he was bitter." Lily exclaimed, leaving the table in silence.

"Lily, I know what he went through was hideous, but that isn't an excuse for what he tried to do to you. To someone totally innocent of any wrong done to him." Ginny said softly, sitting down next to her daughter.

"I know, I know. I just... he didn't deserve to die, really he shouldn't even be taken to Azkaban. He just needed someone to talk to." Without warning, Lily's voice broke and she burst into tears.

"Come on, darling. I think you need a bit more sleep." Ginny said, putting her arm around Lily's waist and guiding her back up the stairs to her room.

Though she allowed her mother to tuck her in, Lily could not sleep. Scorpius and Zabini both floated in and out of her mind and all she saw when she closed her eyes was the blood that covered Scorpius's shirt. Curling up in foetal position, Lily dreaded her return to Hogwarts.

**_A/N - Sorry it's looking a bit bleak, but good things will happen if you review ;-) _**


	30. In The End

**_Disclaimer - For the last time, I don't own Harry Potter! _**

**_A/N - Hello everyone. Once again, I am sorry for be a hideous updater. However, this will be the last time you have to deal with my awfulness, since this will be the last chapter of Lily and Scorpius's adventure. I hope you like the way I've ended it and have had a good time with my characters. _**

"Remember you can come home whenever you like. I've spoken with Professor McGonagall and she says that's perfectly all right considering the circumstances. Neville will be there if you need to talk to anyone..."

"I know, thanks Mum." Lily muttered as she gave her mother one last weak hug before stepping onto the train.

Every eye on the platform was staring at the Potter family, and Lily just wanted to get on the train and find Annie – the one person who wouldn't ask her endless questions. As she made her way down the train trying to find Annie, Lily wanted to disappear completely. Eventually she found Annie and Connor's compartment which was thankfully empty but for the couple.

Annie asked no questions but stood up and threw her arms around Lily, who breathed her familiar vanilla scent and felt immediately comforted. Connor smiled at her as Annie returned to his side and asked her if she got anything interesting for her birthday. Lily was relieved to be able to talk about something so mundane, and had a long conversation with the pair about her new broomstick, comparing it with the recently released Nimbus model.

The idyllic calm of the compartment was broken when of the Creevy twins (with Hugo and Francis in tow) arrived, and Ella proceeded to explain in great detail about how Francis had gone to extreme lengths during the holidays to win her back after the disastrous incident at Hugo's party and showed them the large gold-plated heart, hanging from a golden chain around her neck, that Francis had hidden in a bunch of ever-blooming roses.

Though Lily thought the pendant tacky and Ella and Francis's displays of affection nauseating, she was glad that Ella had something more important to talk about, keeping her away from the subject of Scorpius and the Slytherins for another entire hour. The subject, however, had to come up and it did as soon as Ella finished her tale and asked the rest of them how their Easters had been.

"Oh! But I completely forgot about that in all the excitement of... well. I'm so glad you're all right, Lily, but how's Scorpius? I bet you're well pleased with that hideous Zabini character being killed, I suppose it feels like a sort of justice after all the things he did to you, especially if Scorpius... well..."

At that point, Bella saw fit to elbow her sister rather hard in the ribs and Ella fell quiet. The entire compartment fell into a silence, then, while Lily worked hard to keep her breathing steady and not scream at Ella that she didn't understand.

The tension in the compartment was palpable, and Ella's face flushed red before she got up and muttered,

"Come on Francis. I want to ask Esme about her holiday."

As the compartment door slammed shut behind Ella and Francis, silence fell once again upon the compartment until Annie said suddenly,

"What in Merlin's name was Victis thinking, giving us all that work? I swear I spent more time in my bedroom trying to riddle out those questions than doing anything else!"

This had the desired effect on the compartment's occupants, sending every fourth year into angry protestation that Victis should be so cruel. Thanks to Annie's conscientious efforts, conversation flowed continuously for the rest of the journey, and Lily was able to forget about her worries and grievances until they reached Hogsmeade station.

She tried to ignore the inquisitive stares of her fellow students, but it was difficult to block out the whispers, the rumours that flew around her as Annie and Hugo escorted her to the carriages, trying to protect her from the worst of it. She appreciated their efforts but she was still shaking by the time they reached the Thestral-drawn carriages. Their journey to the castle was undertaken in silence, and by the time they reached the castle, all Lily wanted was to curl up in bed and pretend she was at home. Instead, she was herded into the Great Hall with the rest of the school and sat down at the Gryffindor table, surrounded by noise and chatter which washed over her like waves until Professor McGonagall stood the address the school.

"Good evening, everyone. I hope you have had a restful break – though those in fifth year and above may be starting to worry about OWLs and NEWTS in this part of the year. I wish you all the best of luck with your exams this term and am sure you will all fulfil your full potential if you work hard. First, however, we should take some time to enjoy our most excellent feast."

No sooner had the Headmistress finished speaking than the long house tables were groaning with food. Lily piled her plate like the rest, but only picked at her food, though the feast was as delicious as always. When the feast was finally over and Professor McGonagall dismissed them all, Lily as relieved to be mounting the stairs to the Gryffindor Common Room, her dormitory and four poster bed. She sighed inwardly as she saw Neville making his way through the crowd towards her.

_I should have expected this_. She thought as her Godfather laid a caring hand on her shoulder and led her out of the crowds towards his office.

"You know, you're incredibly brave just for being here, Lily." Neville said as he closed the door of his office and gestured to Lily to sit down. "I know how difficult it must be to have people talk about what happened as though you and Scorpius and your families aren't real people. I just want you to know that myself and Professor McGonagall are always here if you need anything."

"Yeah, thanks." Lily muttered, willing him to just let her get to bed, where she could curl up unwatched. There was a long pause before Neville said,

"Look, Lily, I know you always take care of yourself – and that's a quality we all applaud in you – but you don't have to deal with this by yourself. It's a tremendous amount to be piled onto a young person and..."

"A tremendous amount? I know bloody well that this is nothing compared to what you and my parents and Ron and Hermione and everyone in your generation had to cope with, but that doesn't make it any less horrific from where I stand. So can you all please just stop patronising me – I know you're bloody war heroes and I may not be one but I think that after everything that's happened I can deal with this, all right? The last thing I want is your sympathy, because the more you sympathise, the more I am forced to think about Scorpius lying unconscious in St Mungo's and know that he might never wake up again. So thanks for the 'support' but I'll do without. Thanks."

Neville didn't even try to stop Lily bursting out of his office, he knew better than to attempt it. Instead, he threw a handful of green powder into the fire in his office and said, "Grimmauld Place" because he didn't know what else to do.

Lily was relieved to find that the rest of the girls were asleep when she reached the dormitory and she was able to undress quietly and get into bed without being disturbed by sympathetic glances or inane questions. Her sleep, once she finally drifted off, was troubled and her dreams vivid as they had been every night since Scorpius had been hurt. She awoke to the sounds of the rest of the girls moving around beyond the velvet curtains of her bed. A large part of her wanted to just stay there all day, not to venture into the Great Hall or any of her lessons. It was her pride that urged her to get up out of bed and face the rest of the school.

Lily held her head high as she entered the Great Hall, looking straight forward and shutting her ears to the whispering around her. She sat down calmly next to Annie and picked up a piece of toast. Raising it to her lips, she took a small bite, chewed and swallowed. Lily repeated the action until the toast was gone and got up to go to Charms. She sat quietly while Weatherstone lectured them on Summoning Charms. When lunchtime came she accompanied Annie and the twins (all of whom were slipping her side glances as though she might explode at any moment) to the Hall for lunch and finished a bowl of soup.

It wasn't until Care of Magical Creature that afternoon that anyone dared disturb the fragile shell that Lily had built up around her; Hagrid's warm dark eyes could melt any icy calm that Lily had tried to hide behind. When the class had been dismissed and Lily began to make her way across the grounds towards the castle she found her professor and confident by her side.

"Tea, Lily." He said, his familiar, gruff tones almost breaking Lily's shield there and then.

"No, thank you Hagrid." she tried to protest before she felt a huge hand on her shoulder.

"Not a question, Miss."

Hagrid made tea in silence, placing a plate of rock cakes before her. When he presented her with a steaming bucket of tea, Lily sipped it listlessly.

"Now, I know yer goin' through a tough time, what with Scorpius bein'… well… but you can't just shut it out. I know you think you always have ter seem so strong all the time, but yer strength doesn't lie in pretending yer not hurt. You have ter accept the way it's makin' you feel. I know yer probably sick o' gettin' advice from an old man like me, but…"

Hagrid didn't have time to finish his sentence before Lily threw her arms around him.

"There there, my girl. It'll be all right, ye'll see."

Days passed, then a week, and every passing minute felt like an hour with no news of how Scorpius was doing. Every time she saw a blonde head in the corridor or made contact with a pair of blue eyes the pain of it all came crashing down again. All she could do was remember Hagrid's words and carry on. The only bearable time of day was her journey up to the Owlery after supper, when she would be free from prying eyes. Although it pained her to read her mother's letters that bore no news of Scorpius, the quiet tranquillity of the tower's softly hooting occupants calmed her, and she found she could almost enjoy herself while she stroked Archie's feathers and watch the sun set over the distant mountains.

At dinner on Tuesday, Lily was edgy. Quidditch practice and a hideously long essay from Binns had meant she was unable to go to the Owlery, and she missed her mother's letters and the half hour of quiet. Unable to stand it any longer, Lily abandoned her plate of shepherd's pie and set off towards the Owlery. So anxious was she to find her sanctuary that she broke into a run and arrived in the tower panting. Archie flew over to her immediately and nibbled at her robes affectionately while she untied the letter from around his leg. To her confusion, Lily saw not her mother's neat handwriting, but a thin, looping script saying simply,

_Turn around. _

Lily's heart leapt as she turned on the spot and saw a familiar tall blonde figure standing in the doorway.

"Scorpius!" She breathed.

HpHpHpHpHp

_Scorpius tapped his foot as he waited for the train. Platform Nine and Three Quarters was packed with parents and siblings awaiting the return of the Hogwarts Express._

_"Calm down, Scorpius. She'll be here any minute." Ginny reminded him gently._

_"Right. Yeah. Sorry." He said, ceasing his tapping._

_After what seemed another eternity (but was in reality only a few minutes) the scarlet steam engine came rolling into the station and young witches and wizards came pouring out into the arms of their waiting parents. Then he saw her, her red hear standing out above the heads of the first and second years, walking towards her family with a smile shining through her tears._

_"I can't believe it's over." She whispered as Scorpius folded her in his arms._

_"I know, I know." He comforted her, "It hurts when it ends, but it's a beginning as well."_

**_A/N - There we have it. Thanks so much to everyone who read and reviewed, this wouldn't have happened without you and your brilliant support. _**

**_Voldemort out, bitches. _**

**_Lplli xx_**


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